Cryptic
by Anne Fatalism Dilettante
Summary: Somehow, we were fated to meet in this twisted world. I'm a girl that unexpectedly appears in Veda's terminal, and I wonder what secrets do life hold. Would we be the salvation or the destruction to one another? Well, maybe you could tell me. TieriaxOC.
1. A Mere Twist

"_What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.__"  
- T.S. Eliot_

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A Mere Twist**

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**The world was warm, and that felt _nice._

_So this was how it was like to be dead._

Dead? Was I dead? I assumed so, for I could feel nothing anymore. The darkness seemed infinite, a gluttonous being that seemed to hunger for my soul. I was floating – and no matter how hard I tried, my limbs refused to comply.

_Where was I?_

Thoughts began to settle in. I couldn't be dead. If I was really dead, then why on earth was I talking to myself now? Or was this what always happened to the dead, being stuck in a black hole, unable to rest forever?

"_This is your world, now."_

The voice that reverberated around me was by no means a great comfort, but it gave me the slightest of courage to know that I was not alone.

Dry lips parted – _so I was not dead!_ – to whisper out the faintest of words. "Where am I? Who are you? What's…going on?"

There was no response.

It wasn't like I was expecting one anyway.

Gradually, I became aware of something. The world was getting _brighter._ Even with my eyes closed, I could identify the colors that began to come into existence. At first they were just a jumble of hues, tossed together like paint on canvas ; but as the seconds ticked by they became more and more recognizable. Emerald. Violet. Gold.

They burned. The colors dazzled in such a brilliant way that I had to open my eyes…

…only to have them forcefully shut again with the sudden pain that shot through my head. From then onwards things happened so fast –

"_Are you satisfied with the world? Well, I'm not…"_

"_Tell me, what is the meaning of being a Gundam Meister?"_

"_My existence is the sole reason."_

_"The only thing you can change about the past is how you feel about it in the present."_

_"I killed my own kind...twice."_

"_Are you going to fight your own?"_

"_No! I am a human!"_

The pain intensified, as the speed of the visions increased as well.

The images sifted, and I was staring at an image of a mothership.

The mothership…its name was…Ptolemaios? With its GN Particle Barrier, the ship had avoided many dangerous fights in the past. The scene of war unfurled before my eyes, things that astounded me yet…somehow seemed familiar at the same time. And the voice that spoke to me earlier on, the one that told me that it was my world…it's name was…Veda?

There were several repeated phrases that I caught in the continuous hum of voices – phrases like Gundam Meisters, Trans-Am, GN Drives, Celestial Being, Memento Mori. They were all phrases I had not recalled learning in my lifetime, but oddly enough, I seemed to have a fair idea of what they were. I screwed my eyes up and did my best to ignore the stabbing pain, scrutinizing the huge robots that flashed past my eyes – the machines they called Gundam.

Exia. Double O. Cherudim. Arios. Seravee. Nadleeh. Dynames. Virtue. Kyrios. These, I knew, must have been the names of these machines. Slowly, I murmured each name, testing it on my tongue, wondering how it sounded like.

The faces that appeared were striking, even against the bright shades of colors that bounced back and forth.

The pilots of the Gundams.

They all looked normal, men who would have easily blended anywhere. One of them particular stood out – his hair was the deep shade of violet, and his eyes were garnet. Garnet and yet at times, a fiery, electric gold. However, it wasn't his unusual physical features that stood out – it was the expression on his face. It was an expression that contained iciness, aloofness…and yet somehow I knew that there was more to that underneath that neat façade of his. It was beautiful, yet so mysterious.

_Tieria…_

_Tieria Erde._

So that was _his_ name, and it was nothing short of sophistication.

All these pilots – there were apparently four of them – had experienced the bitter taste of life. The hurt. The pain. The gasping, the inescapable terror. I felt like I was someone crawling in a pit of despair, watching and actually _feeling_ the seasons that washed by over them.

_Innovator._

That single word brought a chill – a familiar one. It roused a buried mass of panic, and I flailed around, frustrated, confused, not understanding what was going on -

And with that, the pain stopped. The erratic pulse of my heart slowed, and I let out the breath that I had been holding for so long. What had happened anyway? Why did it happen to me?

I had so many questions, and I craved for the answers.

The voice who spoke to me just now – Veda…why did I appear in a place like this in the first place?

More importantly, I was still trapped, in a place where I had no idea how to make an escape. It was different now, though.

I was no longer dying. I was alive. And I had to get out of here. But before I could do anything, I sensed a presence behind. Whipping around as fast as I could, I saw who it was.

It was the boy with purple hair and flaming gold eyes.

Tieria Erde.

I could tell he was examining me – probably wondering who I was. And then the question came.

"Who are you, and why are you in Veda's terminal that only I am allowed to access?"

* * *

Tieria Erde exited his room, the trademark glare of his obvious as usual. The daring mission plan of Sumeragi Li Noriega's had no doubt been a success – but the damages taken were not light either. The Seravee had sustained a fair amount of damage, and to make matters worse, the pathetic whining of Saji Crossroad was becoming a real nuisance to him.

The hangar was in a state of disarray – equipments were frantically passed on around, orders were issued and hastily followed. Tieria glanced up as his battered Seravee, willing it to be repaired as soon as possible. With the Double O damaged as well, repairs would have to be finished up really quick.

After all, the A-Laws weren't going to just sit and wait. Neither would the other Innovators. They would love nothing more than to use all methods of brute force to exterminate Celestial Being.

Tieria strode past Mileina, who gave him a wave and a cheeky smile. Beside her stood Lockon, peering curiously at the chart that she was holding. Feldt stood not too far away, the length of her bubblegum pink hair concealed under the space helmet that she was wearing.

Tieria paused in mid-stride, turning around to see Setsuna leaning against the railing, a frown etched on his young face. Next to him was the princess of Azadistan, murmuring something that sounded like a plea.

Everyone was tired. Even without using Veda's detection Tieria could tell that their strength was beginning to fail. He himself did not feel energetic either. All the killings were beginning to weigh on all of them – on him as well.

He needed to talk to Veda, fast.

With that, he headed to Veda's terminal.

Veda's terminal always brought to him a sense of security, and it was this type of solitude that enabled him to connect to her, and with Veda, there were always new solutions for things.

Yet somehow, as Tieria approached the terminal, he sensed that something was amiss. He frowned, wondering whether it was mere paranoia. Then he shuddered, and took a deep breath.

It was not paranoia. Someone was _inside _the terminal.

He leapt inside – appreciating the sudden surge of power that filled him – allowing his garnet eyes to adjust and shift to gold. Then he saw the other person inside the terminal. The _someone_, a girl, who had somehow infiltrated the terminal, was _not _Nena Trinity, a skilled hacker who had managed to hack her way into Veda's terminal a few months ago.

No, this was not Nena Trinity. In fact…it didn't look like anyone from the Ptolemaios at all. Although her back was one facing him, he could tell that she was a stranger from somewhere. Her shoulder-length hair was in an unusual shade of verdant, and although Tieria was no socialite, he knew that no one from this ship owned hair-color like that.

He aimed a gun at her head. Tieria certainly did not want Anew Returner's incident happening again. He would interrogate her, and then he would shoot her down. It would be clean and simple.

However, before he could say a thing, the girl turned to look at him.

Tieria narrowed his eyes. She was young. But then again, all Innovators retained their youth. If this girl was an Innovator sent from the A-Laws, then that meant that Celestial Being's position was worse than what he thought.

He kept his gun aimed.

"Who are you, and why are you in Veda's terminal that only I am allowed to access?"

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**All right, this is my first fic, so…go easy on me. I'm not really good in writing, and I'm going to dodge all the rocks thrown as I know that you all love Lockon/Tieria and Tieria/Mileina pairings. Still, I'm really interested in giving this a try. Please review! I'd be grateful! **

**Anne.**


	2. Encounter

**I do not own Gundam 00. By the way, the Lockon Stratos here in this story isn't Lyle. It's Neil, the original Lockon. :D**

**Hope you all like it. **

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"_A discovery is said to be an accident meeting a prepared mind."  
__- __Albert Szent-Gyorgyi_

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**Encounter**

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"Hey, hey, Mileina! Focus on the Gundam that you're repairing! You're not using the method we told you to!" Ian Vashti commanded, his face dirty with grime and grease. Beside him, Linda Vashti peered at her daughter, concern on her face.

Mileina jumped and pursed her lips in a tiny rosebud 'o'. "I'm sorry, mama, papa!" Erde-san ignored me, she thought miserably. He just walked past without even glancing at me!

Beside her, Lockon was still peering at the chart she held. "Mileina, how's Cherudim?"

She quickly plastered a big smile on her face. "It's repair work is almost finished, Stratos-san!"

Lockon smiled at the young girl, who was efficient in her work as always. Then he noticed the underlying frown and said, "It's about Tieria, isn't it?" Seeing Mileina's slight nod, Lockon smiled even wider.

"Well, Mileina. It's been a long and hard day for everyone. Tieria's just in one of his foul moods. He'll come around soon."

Mileina smiled and looked at Lockon with bright enthusiasm. "Thank you, Stratos-san!"

A new voice spoke up. "Speaking of Tieria, where _is_ he now? There are some things about the upcoming battle that I would like to discuss with him," Sumeragi said, floating towards them.

"That kid's probably in Veda's terminal again, like he always is." Lockon answered.

Mileina looked at Sumeragi, then at Lockon. After a few moments, she piped up. "What are we waiting for? Let's all go look for him, then!"

* * *

_ Okay. _

There were a few things I currently knew.

First, I was definitely alive. Second, I was a girl, no thanks to the unmanly voice I had uttered. Third, I more or less had appeared in Veda's terminal out of the blue, which I was still unsure how it happened. Fourth, Tieria Erde was definitely _not_ happy to see me.

I continued to be silent, weighing the options and thinking of the consequences. What was I supposed to say? That I was some fugitive from the random land of no-ones? That I had no damn idea what was going on? Somehow, I knew all these answers weren't going to go down too well.

"Well? Who are you?" He prompted. From the expression on his face, it looked like he was just itching to press the gun's trigger and watch me spout fountains of blood. Or "die a thousand deaths". I remembered him using that sentence from one of the visions I had earlier on.

"I don't know," I answered truthfully.

His eyes widened in surprise for a second – that was definitely not the answer he expected. However, he soon resumed his glare. "What do you mean?" He demanded. "There's no way you could appear in this ship without even _boarding _it. Who sent you? What organization do you work for? Are you with the A-Laws? Are you an Innovator, masking your quantum brainwaves? Appearing in Veda's terminal, no less! Everybody wants to seize it, and if you're one of those working under Ribbons Almark, there is no way that I'm going to let you go! I will not let Anew Returner's incident repeat again!"

_Innovator._ That word again. Whatever it was, it was definitely something ominous.

And whoever Anew Returner was, her fate certainly didn't turn out too well.

I straightened up and returned the glare. "I have no idea how I ended up here. In fact, I thought I was _dead_. Look, I don't even know who I am. I don't remember my name, and I don't remember anything from the past, if I ever had one."

"Do not make a fool out of me! So you expect me to believe you that you just magically appeared here, in Veda's terminal? What happened to Nena Trinity's method of at least making her pathetic presence _known_ in the Ptolemaios before proceeding to hack the daylights out of Veda? Or is this some new method of sabotaging by the pathetic A-Laws and Innovators? With the way you appeared, it sure seems like you're one of them!" His outburst was cold, staccato and violent.

I had a strong urge to shrink back, to go back to that infinite darkness. Anything was better than being confronted by him, in such a manner too!

I had no idea who was Nena Trinity as well, but I decided I would find out later. My strong resolve was breaking, and I was beginning to feel hysterical. I had to get him, this person called Tieria Erde, to _understand _my damn predicament.

Instead, what came out was :"Do not classify me as one of_ them_, Tieria Erde,"

He opened his mouth, and closed it again. It looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn't do so. I frowned, wondering what made him stop all of a sudden.

Finally, he spoke up. "If you really aren't involved with them, how on earth would you know my name?"

"Oh, so now you believe me?" I asked sarcastically. Then I shrugged. "Veda told me, I guess."

Tieria gasped. "You communicated with Veda?"

"It could be Veda, it could be Ribbons Almark, it could be Anew Returner, or that smarmy Nena Trinity for all you know. Really, does it matter? I saw many things while I was inside here, all right?" I paused. "In fact, I may not know the intricate details, but I know fairly much what has been going on. It's quite irritating. I know many things about this ship, the Gundams, you all as the Meisters, but I don't even remember anything about _myself_."

He listened closely. I wasn't exactly sure what was going through his mind, but something about all these things I said must have surprised him.

"You accessed Level 5 and 6 information, without any trouble," he muttered to himself, beginning to pace around the bright chamber.

"What does this mean?" I asked sharply.

He didn't answer, he merely looked at me. Then he realized he was still aiming at me. He took a look at the gun and pocketed it. I exhaled in relief. At least I wouldn't be having gunshots all over myself for now.

Just then, the doors of Veda's terminal slid open, and I was greeted with the chattering of people...until they saw me.

The man with shaggy brown hair – from Veda's information earlier on – was Lockon Stratos, one of the Gundam pilots. Next to him was a lady with auburn hair spilling to her hips, who I remembered was a forecaster, a Sumeragi something ; and next to her was a girl that looked quite young, with her curly brown hair bunched up.

And they were staring. They were staring right at me.

"Don't look, Lockon!" Sumeragi whispered fiercely, putting her hands over his eyes.

My eyebrows furrowed. I had no idea how I looked like right now, but surely I was not _that _hideous?

Then I looked down.

And realized the fifth thing.

_I was naked. _

And no matter how many memories I had lost, I still remembered enough about female decency. "GYAH!" I shrieked and scrabbled around wildly, attempting to cover up. I had been trying to talk and negotiate with a man, a crazy one at that, stark naked?

But the loudest shriek could not compare with the scream that the young girl with curly brown hair did.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Mileina! Calm down!" Lockon urged.

"ERDE-SAN'S WITH A GIRL THAT ISN'T WEARING ANYTHING!" The girl called Mileina screamed at the top of her lungs.

And with that, a sudden crash occurred. From what I saw, the whole crew of the ship had tumbled about the entrance with urgency.

The rest was a blur. Lockon was trying to get Mileina to calm down, Sumeragi was now trying to shove Lockon _out _of the entrance, which made him knock into at least a dozen other people who were attempting to enter.

"What's happening? Is everything okay?"

"I heard Mileina's screaming! She has never screamed that way before!"

"ERDE-SAN'S MARRIED TO HER!" Mileina shrieked.

"Mileina!" Tieria called sharply, and she stopped shrieking to look at me.

In fact, _all_ of them turned to look at me.

"Woah!" Ian Vashti did a wolf-whistle and Sumeragi shot him a murderous look.

"Who is she?"

"What's she doing here?"

"With Tieria?"

The whispers and the shocked looks were everywhere, and I had nowhere to hide.

Mileina calmed herself down. I knew it took out a great effort for her to plaster a big smile on her face and say the following words : "Ano, I don't mean to be blunt, but are you two lovers?"

I stared.

"With him! No way! This guy wanted to shoot me down! I would never be his...his...lover!"

Tieria shot me a scathing look. "Don't be so melodramatic, girl. The feeling is mutual."

And with that, we were all rewarded with an awkward silence.

Sumeragi was the first to break it. "Tieria, who _is_ she?"

"I was coming here to check on Veda, when I found her. It seems like she magically appeared in Veda's terminal, and she doesn't remember how she got there. She doesn't even have her memories intact. I tried interrogating her about the A-Laws and Innovators, but she only gave me negative responses."

"Well, we can't kick her out into space, that's for sure," Lockon said, having managed to successfully pry off Sumeragi's fingers that were over his eyes. He smiled at me, and I smiled back. If I could ever get along with anyone, it would probably be this guy.

"We'll have to constantly check up on her," a voice murmured quietly. Compared with the other Gundam pilots, he was short and had a Middle-Eastern look to his face. I recognized him as Setsuna F. Seiei, and the machine that he piloted – if I wasn't mistaken – was the Double O.

I shrugged it off. "Do whatever you want. Just...ugh..." I fell forward as my head started to spin.

"Hey! Are you okay?" More voices were speaking at once, and I couldn't make out who they were anymore. I was falling.

Finally, everything went black.

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**So there's the 2nd chapter. Oh no, Mileina seemed pretty upset. And Tieria's not a happy person either. Looks like some chaos might be happening in the future chapters!**

**Read and review! And I'll give you cookies!**

**- Anne**


	3. Into The Scene

**Thank you to those who favourited the story or added it to your alerts. I am forever grateful.**

**Here's the 3rd chapter. Not much story development happens here, it's more or less just like a chapter that helps to do the linking and the building.**

**Oh, I do not own Gundam 00. I wish I owned a nice shiny Gundam that I could pilot to school, though.**

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"_There are no facts, only interpretations."  
-Friedrich Nietzsche_

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**Into the Scene**

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I was in the darkness again, and I hated it so much. What happened? A moment ago, I was surrounded by people. How had I become unconscious in such a short amount of time?

Before I knew it, I had arrived yet again into a land of colours, though this time I was sure I was not in Veda's terminal but was somewhere in a dream.

_Footsteps were pattering on the ground, footsteps that were light yet precise. Something swished by, a bright yellow skirt adorned with flowers. "Nii-san, nii-san! Would you ever let me pilot a mobile suit in the future?" _

_"Of course, dear sister. I will teach you how! Together, we shall bring peace to the world." A voice, deep, masculine, oddly comforting. _

_"Nii-san, sister loves nii-san! Sister will do her best!"_

_An embrace, a pat on the head, a piggyback ride all the way..._

What were these...feelings?

Where had they come from?

_... _

And as soon as the land of colours came, it disappeared and I was yet again alone in a dark, desolate world. The previous warmth was gone, and was replaced with cold misery.

Please let me wake up, I thought.

I had to wake up.

_I had to._

Gradually, I was aware of the murmur of voices around me.

"...still wonder how did she manage to get into the ship undetected..."

"...teleportation...?"

"I don't think so. Teleportation isn't technically something anyone can do, even for super-soldiers like Allelujah and I."

"Not possible, not possible!"

"Shh, Haro, you'll wake her up."

I snapped my eyes open and winced as the bright light hit. Groaning, I squinted and sat up. The bed I was on was soft and comfortable, and, after several moments of surveying, I had no doubt that I was in a girl's room.

So it would seem that I was back in reality. Why on earth was I dreaming about mobile suits? It appeared that I had been thinking too much about the Gundam suits and possibly, their pilots, especially a certain purple-haired one that was as annoying as he was obnoxious. Ah, it certainly didn't do any good at all. The whole dream had been over in such an abrupt manner, and it probably didn't mean much.

"Ah...you're awake!"

I looked toward the source of the voices and found them. A girl with bubblegum pink hair was seated on a chair, her hands folded demurely on her lap. Next to her was a young girl, her silver hair cascading behind her back like a waterfall. Veda probably had shown me visions of them earlier on, but other than those visions I was not sure who they were. They both smiled kindly at me, and I, unused to this friendly treatment especially after Tieria's previous argument with me, simply had no idea what to say.

"Who are you? What happened?" I asked, deciding to stick to the facts before jumping to another sort of conversation.

"My name is Feldt Grace, and this is Marie Parfacy. You passed out. We brought you to Dr. Moreno, worried that there might be an underlying danger, but he reassured us that you were simply suffering from fatigue. This is my room," the girl with pink hair said graciously. "We'll have a room prepared for you in time, but for now, you can stay here with me. This is Haro, by the way," she continued, gesturing at a solid ball of pink that flapped around with its metallic ears.

I nodded and repeated the names in my mind, making sure that I memorized them. Then I remembered her last sentence and said, in a slightly shaky voice, "Wait...I'll be staying on this ship?"

The girl with silver hair, Marie, spoke up in a worried tone. "Is there any problem with that? We understand that there are some things you might be uncomfortable with, being in a new environment and all. Feldt and I will try our best to familiarize you with our surroundings."

I shook my head, suddenly feeling a small twinge of guilt for making them worry over me. "No, it's all right. I'm just wondering...did...did the others say anything?"

Feldt frowned slightly, and shook her head. "There wasn't much time to discuss...at least, not yet. All we managed to confirm from Sumeragi was that you were to be staying here for a while. After we placed you here to rest, we had an upcoming attack from the A-Laws. The Meisters went out to sortie and the rest of us had to get to our battle stations."

"A-Laws..." I murmured. Somehow, I knew they were tied in relation with the Innovators. I stared stonily ahead, deciding that I would ask the Meisters later.

She mistook my stony stare and quickly said, "Don't worry. It's over – for now. We managed to defeat all the mobile suits they sent out, the newest models from them too. In fact, the Meisters have been back for over an hour already. Would you want to talk to them?"

I stood up quickly and said that, yes, I wanted to.

"Hold on." Feldt said. "Here. Put these on." The clothes she handed to me weren't the uniforms that she or Tieria wore, but they were casuals – a simple pair of jeans and a tee. "They're mine. Don't worry. I'll bring you shopping at the next time we land on Earth. What's your name by the way?"

"I don't know. I don't remember, but I guess there'll be plenty of time to think up of a good one." I said, taking in their shocked expressions with calm.

Surprisingly, Feldt Grace's casuals fit me well. I expected the clothes to be a size or two too big for me – seeing as she was taller. I slipped on the last item – the tee – on me, and for the first time of all, managed to get a good look of my face in the mirror.

Verdant hair that resembled rolling meadows, fuchsia eyes that stared forlornly out of my pale face.

No, I certainly did not look good. The whole combination looked oddly mismatched, but I had no time to be worried over things like that.

I had to talk to the Meisters, that was all I knew.

The odd dream resurfaced into my mind again, but I could only shake my head in frustration.

* * *

Allelujah Haptism sighed.

He knew that Marie was definitely talking to that new girl on board that ship now. He had heard the whole explanation from Tieria – and found the whole situation to be unsettling. There were just too many questionable things, things that currently could not be explained.

'_Maybe they should just choke an answer out of her,'_ Hallelujah grumbled. Allelujah sighed. His dark twin had helped a lot in the recent battle, and while Allelujah had learnt to cooperate with Hallelujah, the irrationality that radiated from him was just too much to bear at times.

'We haven't even met her yet,' Allelujah stated.

'_Yeah, yeah. Just move your ass. We need to get some food. Piloting that damn hunk of metal eats up all the energy, ya' know?'_

As Allelujah floated along the corridor, he didn't even notice the girl that went past him.

Not until she called out.

"Allelujah Haptism?" she said tentatively.

He spun around, startled. His immediate thought was that she was someone he didn't know, but then he remembered about the new girl, and he lit up. "Ah, hello! You are..."

"Yes, the new girl," she replied, giving a small smile. "I heard that there was an attack from the A-Laws today."

She knows about the A-Laws? Allelujah wondered. But then again, she knew who he was too. He suppose that Marie could have told her an amount of things. "Yeah. It was a tough fight, but all of us managed to pull through in the end. We damaged our suits, but repairing shouldn't take too long."

The girl fidgeted at the mention of a fight, but she didn't push it further. Using this opportunity to change the subject, Allelujah quickly asked, "Have you met Marie yet?"

"Marie? Oh, yes, I have. She has been very kind."

_'She probably hasn't met Soma yet,'_ Hallelujah cackled. Allelujah ignored him and instead, smiled at the girl's words. Before he could say anything, however, a voice interrupted.

"And there's something else I'd like to discuss. Allelujah Haptism, the Celestial Being crew has been gathered together for a discussion. Something has to be done about this girl, who I still insist poses a threat to us." Tieria Erde was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, clad in a purple pilot suit that matched his hair. Allelujah wondered how Tieria did it – fighting for long amounts of time, and yet emerging from the cockpit without a hair ruffled, without breaking a sweat. It probably had something to do with him being an Innovade. His garnet eyes were fixed on the girl, and she was looking right back, though what exactly were they thinking, Allelujah could not tell.

The discussion with the crew that was about to follow would be long, that was all he knew.

* * *

"Are you sure that was the best decision, Ribbons?" A voice asked, slightly scornful. Regene Regetta made himself comfortable on one of the plush couches, waiting for a response.

"Yeah, Ribbons. You could have altered the plan a little bit. This plan takes too long. It's not fun. Where's the basis for it, anyway?" Hilling Care whined.

He heard their questions, listened to the complaints.

He sat there, looking calm, cunning and deceptive as usual.

Although there were a few unforeseen circumstances, he knew that Celestial Being was doomed to fall in the end.

After all, there was no one more worthy to lead mankind none other than him, Ribbons Almark. The Celestial Being crew were only human, and even that Innovade, Tieria Erde, had grown so fondly attached to them.

It was pathetic, to say the least. Humanity was its own trap. It was a trap that only lead to damnation, an everlasting cycle of pain and suffering.

"Of course it is the best decision," his voice was smooth and silky, and he smirked when the look on Hilling's face softened. "All will happen in due time, remember that."

The worst darkness, after all, was the darkness that stemmed from one's heart.

And Ribbons Almark planned to make the entire crew of Celestial Being plunge into that pit. Despair would come, and then the hatred would begin.

He chuckled, marvelling at how all this was meant to be.

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**All righty. Not much Tieria here, I know. Wanted to make some space for the other characters. I have to give her a name at the next chapter though, it has been a bit frustrating typing "the girl" when a name should be there instead! Ah, well. "All will happen in due time", Ribbons said. Some explanation to be done at the next chapter! **

**Please read and review! **


	4. Claims

**Here comes a chapter! Oh, the holidays. How I love them, even though it's only for a week. ****No cliffies yet. :( **

**Sadly, I do not own Gundam 00. **

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"_I'm not claiming divinity. I've never claimed purity of soul. I've never claimed to have the answers to life. I only put out songs and answer questions as honestly as I can... But I still believe in peace, love and understanding."  
-John Lennon_

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**Claims**

**

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Almost everybody was present.

Other than the few who were manoeuvring the ship or keeping a lookout for enemies at their control stations, the rest of the Celestial Being crew were gathered, silent and rather solemn. I knew that this was the time where they would decide what to do with me, whether to let me stay on board the Ptolemaios or to…

The forecaster was the first one to interrupt my train of thoughts.

"All right, then. Who are you?"

Feldt, her pink ponytail bobbing around due to the lack of gravity, was the one who answered before I could.

"Uhm…Sumeragi! Her memories are missing..."

Lockon lazed by with a casual expression on his face, looking not in the least bit troubled. I could tell that this man wasn't very much bothered with my presence, and that was comforting. "So that's what she's been telling you, eh? Tieria's going to be in a fit soon, with a situation that even he can't comprehend."

"I am not going to be 'in a fit', and there's nothing hard to comprehend about this situation! Sumeragi Li Noriega, this girl is…"

" – dangerous? A threat? I know, Tieria. But what if this isn't what she chose for herself?"

Everyone shifted their attention to me, waiting.

All right, this was it. Now or never.

"I didn't choose this."

They were silent, urging me to continue. Confusion was already beginning to spread on the once-defiant expressions. That was a good sign.

"You all made it sound as if I knew things. It's true, I do, but only because Veda told me. Or I accessed Veda, whichever way you would want to put it. I woke up inside the terminal. I didn't hack in on purpose, and mean no harm. If I were some – some Innovator thing, I would have infiltrated Celestial Being in a smarter way, wouldn't I, like what was once cleverly done by Anew Returner?"

There were flinches, murmurs.

"I know that the way I appeared here in such an abrupt manner is disconcerting. You all are wary, and…I don't blame you," I remembered all the visions that I saw inside Veda's terminal, all the pain that they had gone through. "In fact, it's only normal protocol for you all not to simply trust strangers, no? But whoever these Innovators are, I haven't met them. If I did in the past, then I don't _remember_."

Something must have struck Tieria, because all of a sudden he looked less wary. Now, his garnet eyes had widened, as if he had a sudden realization.

The change must have been obvious, because Allelujah said, "Tieria, are you all right?"

"Yes. You," –he gestured at me –"The key words are that you _don't remember_, and that_ this wasn't your choice_. What if this was decided by someone else?"

The whisperings had increased in volume, and I tried my best to ignore it.

"What do you mean?"

"He means that there's a third party involved," Allelujah said kindly.

"If we were to look at this from another angle…" Tieria was muttering to himself, and I could sense his brain spinning as he considered the situation. "Yes, that might possibly be it…"

I tapped my foot, impatient. "Yes, Tieria?"

"It means that your memory might have been tampered with."

"A third party?"

The unease on everybody's face was apparent, and he pushed on. "The infamous third party, yes. My primary suspect would be the Innovators. As you managed to access Veda, I'm certain that they're related to you in some way. However, something they did to you must have damaged your memory. Your quantum brainwaves that enabled contact with them must have been destroyed in the process as well, because I don't sense any of it in you at all."

"I'm not an Innovator if that's what you're implying," I snapped, feeling the colour rise to my cheeks.

"Of course you're not, seeing as they've abandoned you here," Tieria brushed off my anger carelessly, like a man swatting off an annoying fly.

The word 'abandoned' made me pause.

_Abandoned…?_

A warm hand placed itself on my shoulder. It was Feldt, offering silent support. Marie and Allelujah gave me smiles, and Lockon was patting my head.

"Uh…what?" I asked warily, unused to these sudden displays of affection.

Sumeragi stood in front of me, hands on her hips.

"It's called _acceptance._ Tieria's opinion is clear. With your memory tampered and your quantum brainwaves wiped out, you pose no threat to us. True, all these aren't within my calculations, but that's all right. This is an exception that I'm willing to agree on as the tactical forecaster of Celestial Being. Besides, since you have obtained all sorts of information about us, there's no way we can let you off this ship. You could stay on board on the Ptolemaios and help us out in any way possible."

Before I could answer, Lockon popped out a very important question.

"So, how are we going to address you?"

"Uhm…"

"Oh, that's right!" Feldt looked at Marie, then at Lockon. "She doesn't know her name..due to the…destructed memories."

"Guess we'll have to give you one!"

"Azure?"

"Nina?"

"Rebecca?"

"I have no part in this," Tieria said, giving me one last irritated glance just before the door shut.

Setsuna shrugged and followed suit.

Meanwhile, the names continued. All sorts were being suggested – odd names, too. Ramona. Merrilyn. Edith. The girls were clearly enjoying themselves.

"Your hair is a dark green," Marie pointed out. "Maybe we should pick you a name something related to that…"

"I don't think I would like to be called a walking forest."

Lockon grinned, amused, proceeding to list down almost anything green-related. "Apples, trees, leaves, algae…"

The crew laughed along, and I found myself joining in as well.

"What about emerald?" Feldt asked, peeking shyly at me.

Emerald, eh?

It could be shortened. Emmy. Era. Eri.

Wait, that was it.

"Eri. Just Eri would do."

They stared for a moment, then Sumeragi extended her hand.

"All right," she said, grinning. "Welcome to Celestial Being, Eri."

* * *

Tieria Erde stared at the stars that flew past, the reflection on the thick glass windows telling him that his face was yet again etched into a frown.

Even after all the times Mileina encouraged him to smile, he still couldn't do it.

With the constant attacks from A-Laws, the dark shadows of the Innovators and the obliteration of innocent people happening on Earth, Tieria found that smiling was a difficult task indeed. There was never a time of rest – battles were like races. You lost if you weren't quick enough, and letting down your guard at inappropriate times were simply unacceptable.

_The girl. _

He overheard them calling her new name, over and over again. _Eri._ So that was who she was from now onwards.

Her entire presence was a mystery, an _unwanted_ one at that. Tieria had grudgingly allowed her to live, but only because his keen Innovade senses told him that she meant the truth – about not intending to be of any harm here. The rest of her explanations seemed reasonable, but there was a nagging feeling that still constantly crawled to his mind. If he was right and that she was really abandoned by Ribbons Almark and his creations, then there could only be two reasons.

Either she was just too useless for him, or…

…she posed a threat that was too big for him to ignore.

Tieria cursed inwardly. What kind of threat would it be, then? A threat so big that he had to resort to such tactics? But if she was really a danger, or an annoyance, then killing her off would have been easier. It would be simple, no questions asked, and the other Innovades wouldn't have minded either.

So, why didn't they do that instead?

"So that's where you are. Defensive, aren't you? Wound up, that's what you are. Cut some slack. Sumeragi predicted that the A-Laws wouldn't attack soon. Get some rest. Read a book. Relax."

Tieria turned around to see Lockon perching casually against the doorframe.

"And you're being way too friendly to a _stranger_ that has only been around for only a few hours, Lockon Stratos."

Raised eyebrows. "Friendly? It's called courtesy, Tieria. Besides, you more or less gave your approval for her to be on this ship. Shouldn't you trust your instincts a little? Guarded looks and hasty accusations never go anywhere. You've been a Meister for some time and should know this well enough."

"Being _guarded_ is what keeps all of us alive," Tieria hissed, annoyance laced in his voice.

Lockon sighed. He knew better than to start an argument with Tieria. "Well, think about it then. I can tell you, though, if everyone acted as you did, Celestial Being would have never come this far."

With that, he left, leaving Tieria alone with his sharp, murderous and slightly confused thoughts.

* * *

**That's it for this chapter. At least I have a name for her now. Took me some time to find something suitable. D: **

**Read and review! Constructive criticisms are always accepted!**

**- Anne**


	5. Arguments

**No. I do not own Gundam 00. :( The only one that I own is Eri. **

* * *

_"Arguments only confirm people in their own opinions."_  
_-Booth Tarkington_

* * *

**Arguments**

* * *

"_Nii-san! What are you doing here?"_

_Laughter. Gentle smiles. There was nothing more except a flow of warmth, a sense of security. Hands around me, a comforting embrace. The happiness was there, a fuzzy glow that began from my chest and spread throughout. _

_He was tall…much taller. All I could see was the button-up shirt that he wore, and his pale, slender fingers. _

"_I'm making some final adjustments to this mobile suit, sister. Doesn't it look magnificent?"_

"_It does! Can you fly this thing way up in the sky?" _

"_Of course."_

"_Nii-san…I want to do that too!" _

_More laughter. Hair ruffling. Tenderness. "You will. All you need are a few more years and…" _

…

My eyes snapped open of their own accord.

The dream came rushing in, strong and unstoppable.

I turned around blindly, half-expecting to see a tall, male figure looming around somewhere with a mobile suit by his side. However, all I saw was a girl with pink hair resting on a bed not too far away from me. Feldt. I was temporarily rooming with her after all.

Reality returned – I was Eri, a new member of Celestial Being.

I sighed. How vivid was that dream, to have me temporarily mix it up with reality?

The bright red digits on the wall flashed . Four-fifteen a.m. huh? What on earth was I supposed to do now? Going back to sleep didn't seem like an inviting option.

My decision was swift. I kicked off the covers and decided to go for a walk.

* * *

The area was deserted.

To be honest, it was slightly eerie. The usual chatter of the Celestial Being crew was non-existent at this hour, and the only thing I could hear was the steady hum of machines. My footsteps echoed along the hallway, unusually loud.

Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea.

All right, Eri, you wanted a walk, didn't you? What are you worried about? Nothing's going to harm you. Just _walk_. Then perhaps you could go back and have some proper sleep after all.

The internal yelling somehow chased away any doubts. I wandered around aimlessly at a comfortable pace, not familiar with the layout of the Ptolemaios yet.

Before I knew it, I stopped outside a room that I only knew too well.

Veda's terminal.

_Should I…?_

The urge for me to enter was strong, and yet, I hesitated – what if someone was around and saw me sneaking in? But then again, no one was here now. Nobody would know. I probably wouldn't have a chance anymore when the sun came up.

No. I couldn't afford to waste time. Silently, I slipped inside, feeling a part of me bloom with joy as I felt myself float, weightless, amidst the vibrant hues of colours.

I felt at ease. This was a great place to be. There was no darkness here, only colours.

Colours…and _information. _

Nii-san, huh?

That dream was so persistent. Could it perhaps be a distant memory? Was it possible for myself to have a brother somewhere out there?

That thought was foreign, unwanted.

Perhaps I wasn't meant to be _abandoned…_

Would Veda have the answers that I needed? But then again, Veda only stored information that was related to Celestial Being. I was no original part of it after all...

* * *

"Don't make me regret allowing you to live."

That voice. Him again. I cursed inwardly, turning around so quickly that I nearly did a mid-air somersault. So much for "nobody would know".

His eyes flashed at me, a dangerous golden, face set into that glare that he was famous for. Tieria Erde didn't look so much like a Gundam Meister now with casual pants and a sweater on – he looked more like a regular teenage boy, a fussy one at that.

"...Is it wrong for me to be here?"

Eyes widened – he was surprised, obviously expecting an insulting comeback from me instead of a question.

"No. But it unsettles me about how you, a person without any special abilities, manages to access Veda with such ease."

"Well, you already know that I have no bad intentions."

He ignored my reply. "What are you doing here, at this time of the night? If you were not a part of Celestial Being already, I would have shot you right on the spot."

I had to bite back a smile. "You didn't shoot me the first time."

"Continue speaking to me like that and I swear I won't miss. Now, answer the question."

"Well…" I fidgeted. "I couldn't sleep."

"All humans need sleep for optimum functioning," he stated flatly. "You are no exception. I will not tolerate any sort of illness from you that is stemmed from an unhealthy sleeping habit. "

I sighed.

"All right. Actually, I had a dream."

* * *

Tieria had known all along that humans had dreams at times when they were asleep, and most of the time they were nightmares or just plain peculiar dreams. Sometimes he would sense Setsuna waking up from a bad dream, and there came a point when Tieria had to aim his gun at Hallelujah, who had insisted on giving him a play-by-play description about a perverted dream he had with the female population. Dreams that the Celestial Being crew had were mostly nothing good.

"All humans dream. I am not interested in what your dream was about."

The girl in front of him – Eri – shrugged. On closer inspection, she appeared to be frowning, obviously worried about something.

"It's not a normal one. This is the second time I've been dreaming about it, and it's just too vivid to be ignored. Somehow, it feels…it feels…"

Tieria folded his arms, waiting patiently for her to find her words.

"It feels…like it could be a memory."

She quickly looked away, obviously uncomfortable about discussing this with him.

Ah. No wonder she was concerned.

Could dreams be associated with memories? Tieria was not entirely sure about that. Veda never supplied him with such information.

"I dreamed…that I had a brother."

"…A brother?"

"Yes. I always call him by 'nii-san', and never by his real name. I can't dream up his name though, and I'm never able to see his face, but…but I do know some things, like he's a mobile suit pilot for instance. He supports world peace, and I feel…that he's a good person."

Tieria immediately dissected this information as she continued speaking.

A brother that piloted a mobile suit?

Since when did Innovators had 'brothers'? They were all created, not born. Supposedly he had made a mistake and she had nothing to do with them at all? But then again, where could she have obtained the ability to access Veda so easily?

More disturbingly, if her brother was a mobile suit pilot, then who exactly was he working for?

Did he know that he had a sister here with Celestial Being? If he did, would he come for her?

Tieria tried to dismiss all these possibilities. After all, it was a mere dream. Dreams were dreams. Persistent dreams were still _dreams._ Yet, there was a nagging feeling at the back of his mind, an uneasy one at that.

However, for now, there was nothing that he could confirm from just words alone.

"You. This is going nowhere. It's probably nothing but a dream that you humans fancily have at times. Don't dwell on it too much and go back to your room, or would you like me to drag you back there?"

Colour rose to her cheeks. "I have a name, so stop calling me by 'you'. And what about you anyway? Do you always come by here for no apparent reason?"

"I am a part of Veda. What gives me the right to _not_ come by here?"

"Well, that means you _do_ come by here often then. Could I do that too?"

She? Access Veda anytime she wanted?

"This is outrageous – how dare you even ask! There is no way I will approve of that!"

She glared at him. "Why not? Veda obviously isn't rejecting me. I do not intend to copy out any information for malicious purposes. Besides, If I tried anything, you would have the ability to shoot me down in a second."

Her fuchsia gaze was determined.

"Or is it that you are _afraid_ of me, Tieria Erde?"

"Afraid? What are you talking about?"

She was _challenging_ him. Him, of all people!

"You dare deny it? Every time you see me, you threaten to kill me, and now you are forbidding me to be at Veda's terminal!"

Tieria stiffened, some part of his anger abating. As much as he hated to admit it, this girl actually had a point. There wasn't much that he could do, not when the argument had reached a stage like this.

"All right. You have my authorization to access Veda in this terminal anytime you want. I don't know why you want to, but mark my words – if I see you try anything suspicious, I won't hesitate to _kill_ you. Now, will you stop all these nonsense and leave already?"

She smiled – whether it was in victory or some twisted semblance of happiness, he did not know.

"Okay, okay. I'm going. See you!"

Tieria watched her leave, his irritating mounting by the seconds. He had unwillingly lost to her in an argument, and could already imagine Lockon saying, "I told you so!"

He scowled.

_It seemed like the days were going to be very long indeed._

* * *

**How on earth are they even going to get along anyway... [shakes head] **

**Please read and review. ;D **

**-Anne**


	6. Progress

**It took me some time to post this up because I just got stuck halfway, not knowing what to write, but finally...here's the sixth chapter! Whoosh. Do tell me if you find the descriptions a bit too simple. D: I was debating on whether to stick with simplicity or add a whole lot of complex phrases in it - but then I decided perhaps it was okay this way since this is probably just how I write - still, if you have other opinions, do tell!**

**Important note : Many thanks to the people who have reviewed, favourited or supported me in any way so far. :') I am truly grateful.**

**P/S : As usual, I don't own Gundam 00. **

* * *

"_Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.__"  
- Mark Victor Hansen _

* * *

**Progress**

* * *

"You look tired," Feldt observed.

Oh, I definitely was.

The encounter with Tieria a few hours ago still lingered in my mind. I shook it off, trying to focus on the breakfast tray in front of me. It was seven in the morning, and everyone was gathered in the eating area chattering vivaciously while having breakfast, save for the few who were on watch duty.

I took a quick glance around. Tieria was nowhere to be seen.

Noting my lack of response and somehow lifeless demeanor, Feldt rushed on, "Do you feel uncomfortable in my room? Perhaps there's something wrong with the bed, or…"

"Huh?" I looked up and saw her biting her lip, a nervous expression on her face. "Oh, Feldt – it's nothing like that. I woke up after having a dream and had a short walk on the Ptolemaios, that's all."

I decided to leave the incident of meeting Tieria in Veda's terminal out. No reason to scare Feldt - besides, I didn't want her to begin having thoughts like Tieria anyway. Sighing, I took a bite and chewed. The food felt good to my stomach - which didn't have much to eat except for an early dinner the previous night.

"I see. Well…you mightn't have met Tieria while on your walk, would you?"

I choked and hastily swallowed some juice. "How did you know?"

She smiled.

"Oh, it had to be you! Earlier on, Tieria was complaining about the lack of security on the Ptolemaios and in Veda's terminal – I'd say that he doesn't normally bring up topics like these. There had to be something that pushed him in the first place."

Feldt was smart. I shrugged, waiting for her to ask me about the details. However, she didn't - and I was thankful for that.

"He's going to kill me any day from now."

"Oh, Eri. He wouldn't. Tieria is a good person."

The look on her face was so serene. I almost believed her. _Almost._

* * *

He gave me a brief sideways glance, looked away, stopped for a double take, then turned to Lockon, who was standing next to me.

"What's she doing here?"

"Come on, Tieria. She's a part of Celestial Being now – so she has to familiarize herself with everything on board here. In fact, she'll help out in any way possible as soon as she does – isn't that right, Eri?"

I nodded fervently.

Tieria didn't look convinced.

Lockon had insisted on taking me to the hangar after breakfast – so here we were. Machines whirred around in a monotone hum, carrying out necessary repairs even without the supervision of humans. I even saw several Haros - the ones similar to what Feldt had introduced to me earlier on - whizzing by, their mechanical ears flapping excitedly.

"Get her out of here," he said brusquely. "I don't want her 'familiarizing' herself with the Gundams too much. She's not a technician, nor is she a Meister. There's no reason why she should even be allowed inside here in the first place."

I didn't know what to say, so I simply glared at him. Though Tieria did not mention it, I knew he was still firm on the fact that I was like a time-bomb, ready to explode any moment.

"The Gundams…" I murmured, taking in the scene before me.

I had to exhale – because they were _magnificent._ I had seen the Gundams while in Veda's terminal, but this was actually the first time I was seeing them with my own very two eyes. They towered, tall, hulking and majestic – with each mechanical part fitting the next component perfectly, as if crafted out by the hands of God himself. They seemed to emanate a glow, a sense of power – something that I could not totally describe.

_Cherudim, 00, Arios, Seravee…_

Lockon opened his mouth to say something to Tieria. However, before he could, Ian Vashti approached us – well, to be specific, me.

"Eri, right?"

"Huh? Oh, yes."

"So…do you have any knowledge of space repairs?"

It was a casual question, but one I'm sure he took seriously. Did I?

Picking out the suitable words weren't easy. "I do know some theories of it after linking up with Veda previously…but I can't say that I've ever attempted or…"

"That's no problem. I'm sure you'll learn fast," Lockon said, ignoring Tieria's look of utter mortification.

"Well, come on over! There's lots of things I have to show you," Ian said, beckoning.

I followed behind, continuing to scrutinize the area. It was impressive, to say the least, that so few manpower was able to manage the maintenance of these rare equipments with such efficiency.

Tieria was speaking with Lockon. I watched as his expression turned from irritation to outrage, and then to cold distant aloofness.

Oh, he was definitely going to kill me soon. So much for Feldt's kind opinion of him. Well, there was nothing I could do. Everyone had a role to play in Celestial Being – since I was here, I had to do my part as well. Besides, anything was better than being locked up in a room, having nothing to do but to sleep all day long.

My dreams only served to make me confused – and sad.

I clenched my fists. Someday, I would find out the truth.

* * *

Mileina furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. The units weren't functioning as normally as they should be. Probabilities sparked in her mind – could it be something as simple as a loose wire or something more complex, like a messed up sequence coding…?

She turned to the young man next to her. Saji Crossroad was the one that piloted the 00 Raiser and fought alongside Setsuna. While Setsuna was more of a loner that dwelled i silence, Saji was open, sociable, and, from what she discovered, highly emotional. Now, however, he was examining a machine component, taking notes on a clipboard.

Saji had somehow ended up stuck with Celestial Being due to Setsuna. That was logical.

Mileina glanced at the newest member of Celestial Being, Eri, who seemed to be having good-natured conversations with some technicians, gesturing at various equipments as she did. Papa was next to her, a grin on his face.

Mileina frowned, not knowing exactly why she did. Even though it hadn't been long, Eri's presence had stirred up quite a commotion –

"Especially when it comes to Erde-san…"

There was no mistaking it – an odd tension definitely existed between the two. While Erde-san was not known for being in states of happiness, he was hardly kept on his toes like this.

Now, that _wasn't_ logical.

"Oi, Mileina! Why don't you show Eri what you and Crossroad have been working on around here?"

Mileina strengthened her resolve. Whether the things about this new girl was logical or not, she would still have to get along her.

After all, papa and mama had always said that getting along with people was one of the most important things necessary in teamwork. She managed to get along with everyone in Celestial Being, including with newcomers like Saji Crossroad who constantly suffered from loneliness, and Marie Parfacy, who was also the unpredictable Soma Peires. She had even managed to survive Anew Returner, even when she had held Mileina as a hostage. Mileina shuddered at that memory, then shook her head exasperatedly.

She put a bright smile on her face and headed over to where they were standing.

* * *

"I'm bored! There's nothing, absolutely nothing to do now…"

"It's no fun. I want to take out Celestial Being too!"

"It's boring! Only the A-Laws get to enjoy this!"

Revive Revival sighed in annoyance, trying to ignore the continuous whining of Hilling Care which were escalating by the second.

"Stop complaining. You know better than to go against Ribbons' orders, don't you?"

Hilling pouted, stretching herself on a leather chair. "It's not like the A-Laws are anything great anyway! Humans, they're such a useless bunch. Haven't they realized that they need us to defeat Celestial Being?"

"You have a point – but still, orders are orders. We were made to follow them. Besides, Ribbons has plans of his own – though, you've probably forgotten about them all due to your stupi-"

"I have not!" Hilling wailed. "But it's so slow. Can't you see that she still hasn't realized anything _yet_?"

Revive thought for a moment. It was true. For now, she was certain that that girl – the one that was in Celestial Being – was still clueless about who or what she really was. They had to do something about it soon, but for now, Ribbons had stated that things should be left to work on their own devices, and disobeying Ribbons was like disobeying God himself. She vaguely remembered about how Regene Regetta had tangled himself up in Tieria Erde's affairs, and the consequences faced.

None of the Innovators had been sent to sortie yet – all of the battles so far had been by the initiation of the pathetic A-Laws themselves, who were still blind enough not see the true capabilities of the Innovators.

Ribbons had not stated more on what was going in that cunning, deceitful mind of his. Revive knew that he didn't have to anyway - after all, he was the mastermind. He was the leader. He was God, the only one qualified to lead humanity.

Revive's thoughts promptly turned back towards the girl. It was only a matter of time before the curtains were raised.

After all, she was one of their most precious _assets._

* * *

**I had to write in something from Mileina's standpoint! D: I just had to. I mean, it would be good to see what others were thinking about Eri, right? Right?**

**Review, please do review. :3 **

**-Anne**


	7. Stubbornness

_"One arrives at style only with atrocious effort, with fanatical and devoted stubbornness."_  
_- Gustave Flaubert_

* * *

**Stubbornness**

* * *

My voice was incredulous. "We're heading back to Earth?"

Sumeragi was smiling pleasantly. "We should be breaking into Earth's atmosphere by the next hour. Can you confirm us on that, Feldt?"

"Yes, the Ptolemaios will enter the atmospheric layer over the Middle East in an hour as planned," Feldt's voice resounded from a corner, genuinely warm and enthusiastic.

"Wait a minute. Middle East?"

The Celestial Being crew watched in amusement as I struggled to figure out what was going on. It had been a few weeks since I had been accepted, and I had tried to learn as much as I could during that span of time, which included general world affairs plus space technology. I was making progress, no doubt - but there were still plenty of things I needed to know.

At the same time, I did my best to establish a basic communication with everyone on the Ptolemaios. This was perhaps the _hardest_ task of all. It seemed that a few were still reluctant to accept me as one of the crew – with Mileina Vashti being one of them. She would answer my questions and give me small smiles every now and then, but I could feel the uneasiness behind her smooth, cheerful facade.

Then there was the one-and-only Tieria Erde, who still kicked up royal fits every now and then. It was obvious he regretted allowing me to access Veda anytime I wanted as he would often spot me there – whether it was before breakfast or after dinner, treading into the database system. Still, he was a person of integrity – and never attempted to retract back this given privilege of mine. I had hoped that he would open up and talk to me like a regular person, but I guess I still needed more time to prove myself. So far, the only improvement was that he had stopped the death threats – though the glares and cynicism continued.

The rest of the Meisters were friendly to me, with the exception of Setsuna, who was more of a loner – as what was described to me by Feldt. Allelujah and Lockon were patient and easygoing, and I had come to enjoy their company after spending long hours in the hangar, fixing sizzled components and rewiring machine parts. I especially enjoyed Lockon's presence, for he always seemed relaxed and casual – speaking to me in a breezy sort of way that made me feel safe and comfortable.

"We're heading to the Katharon base," Sumeragi explained, breaking me out of my reverie.

"Isn't that the…" I racked my brains, "…anti-Federation resistance group…the one against the A-Laws?"

She looked cheerful. "That's the one."

Several questions tickled my mind – questions that involved the reason of heading to the Katharon base and how the people there were like – but I decided not to ask. Whatever it was, I could figure it out later.

"We still have an hour to go, Eri. You should go and have a rest." Feldt was voicing out her concern, despite her concentration on the screen. I was still rooming with her, and she knew how erratic my sleeping pattern could be.

"Eri, you've been working real hard."

"Yeah, go ahead."

"We can fix up couple a' machines ourselves."

I felt warmth wash over me as others backed up her statement. It was true. I had been putting in all my effort in everything I did. To make things worse, the dreams I had were still persistent. Other than Tieria, I had decided not to tell anyone else about this. The last thing I wanted was for Celestial Being to have suspicious thoughts about me.

And of course I was _tired._ Who wouldn't be?

"I…well…thank you."

However, instead of heading back to the room, I made my way to Veda's terminal instead.

The familiar sensation of being in Veda's terminal engulfed me as I dropped myself within. I wanted to cry out in pleasant joy at the bright, soulful colors that were present – they were simply just so _beautiful_. Many never had the chance to experience this, and for every single time I entered, I was filled with gratefulness – despite the fact that I had to endure the consequences of an Innovade built in the form of a teenage boy that was always tense, moody and on the high alert.

He hadn't been present in the meeting room, which made me unsurprised to see him floating nearby, his purple space suit clashing against the vibrant background.

"They wanted you to rest," Tieria said, scrutinizing me carefully, tracking my every move.

"No one asked you to spy on our conversation with your nifty Innovade abilities, seeing as you weren't even there to begin with."

"I do not spy. It is essential that I know the outcome of all discussions that involve the wellbeing of Celestial Being."

I rolled my eyes. "Technically, they're the same thing. I'll be out of here as soon as I'm done – then you can continue with whatever spying or meditation sessions as you please."

He ignored the jibe. "As soon as you're done with what?"

"As soon as I'm done with…whatever I'm doing!" I threw my hands up, frustrated.

"Explain."

I groaned. After all the persistent dreams that were clear as day, I finally decided that these were _distant memories _instead of dreams – which made me believe that I had a brother existing somewhere out there. This also meant that I did all I could to seek out information of him whenever I could – and it meant that I needed Veda's terminal for knowledge-hunting.

No, I haven't had any luck so far. The data stored by Veda was aplenty, and I had barely scratched the surface. Every day I would immerse myself upon pile after pile of data, and there was nothing that could help me, nothing that suggested I was getting anything useful out of this.

Still, there was no way I was ever going to tell Tieria anything about my thirst for the truth. Up until now, he still dismissed my frequent dreams as "illogical human physiology".

In fact, he had never questioned my reasons to enter Veda's terminal indefinitely, but somehow today things were going a little differently. Well, it was a shame then – he was not going to learn anything about me – not for today anyway.

"It's nothing."

"If you are planning to..."

I caught his murderous gaze and laughed. "I'm not planning on surrendering any information to the enemy, nor am I keen on blowing up a ship that I'm currently in. I thought you would have stopped being so tense by now."

Besides, I was just too exhausted to even think about a massacre.

He chose not to reply, and I quickly dove into the sea of information before he provided anymore distractions. Running through information in Veda's terminal was like flipping through the pages of a book – it was just that the former required higher amounts of mental strength. Normal humans, according to Sumeragi - who had explained it haltingly while drunk on alcohol to me a few days ago, did not have the ability to do this – it was just too trying a task that consumed too much energy.

Today, I carefully sought out information that were related to Katharon and the A-Laws. The search on the latter provided me a whole lot of data and I gritted my teeth, shoving aside the unnecessary ones. I would only take what I needed.

There was something else that stood behind the A-Laws though. I frowned. Innovators. I hadn't bothered to make a thorough search about them yet. Somehow, I was disturbed and yet undisturbed by the mentioning of them. That didn't exactly make much sense now, did it?

"Well, it's time for me to find out what exactly is the deal with them."

However, before I could go any further, I felt myself being yanked backwards, out of the hazy fuzz of knowledge and back out into the terminal. I blinked. Tieria was glaring at me, his eyes now a solid gold. I immediately knew it was him who had intervened, and I trembled with suppressed anger.

"You're interrupting."

His eyes were hard and unkind. "I will not have anyone, much less a human like you, access Veda in a time of fatigue. Learn your place."

That was it. I wanted to strangle him. However, as soon as I opened my mouth to give him a piece of my mind, the strangest thing happened. My knees buckled and I doubled over, feeling weak all over. I tried to stand, to flail my arms, to tell him that he was over assuming – but unfortunately, it looked like he was right. I was truly suffering from fatigue, and skimming through Veda's database had not helped – but had in fact, worsened the situation.

I looked up, feeling more and more irritation surge through me as my weakness showed. Tieria glanced at me impassively. I readied myself for more insults and reprimands – it was what he was the best in, wasn't he?

Instead, he surprised me by flinging me over his shoulder and said, "Pathetic."

I wanted to give him a kick and tell him I wasn't pathetic, but he _was_ helping me out, so I chose to remain silent. Besides, if I struggled, I knew he would gladly throw me onto the floor, and that would _hurt. _Being on his shoulder wasn't that bad anyway - if anything, it was much more comforting than the cold, sterile hangar I had to be in for many hours a day.

I squinted. Something was going on. The flurry of excitement was apparent, and the ship was not going through a smooth ride at the moment.

Then I heard Feldt's voice carry through the air, loud and clear. "Signal received from the Katharon base – docking commencing in three hundred and twenty seconds!"

I gave a mental shrug. Guess I could always do with meeting some new people from Earth.

* * *

**Tieria flinging a girl over his shoulder...I can never, ever imagine that scene happening in the series. I tried to make him as in-character as possible, hope that worked. [shrug] And, no POV switchies this time. **

**You know what to do! Read and review. :) **

**-Anne**


	8. Kindness

_"Kindness in us is the honey that blunts the sting of unkindness in another."_  
_**- **Grantland Rice_

* * *

**Kindness**

* * *

I swear I really had to stop passing out so often. Perhaps it was a side effect of having my memories erased, but then again, I could be just having very low tolerance for stress.

Well, it was probably a combination of both.

I was gradually regaining consciousness, and things were feeling a little off. The bed wasn't the soft, comfortable one back in Feldt's room. This one was rock hard, and the sheets felt funny - warm, scratchy - with a faint whiff of straw.

I sniffed some more. This was definitely not the sterile air of the Ptolemaios. In fact, it smelled like - baked potatoes? No, scratch that. Baked potatoes _with_ an array of exotic spices.

Wait, what on earth?

I sat up abruptly and saw the last thing that I had ever expected to see.

Children, close to ten of them, in all age and sizes. They were dressed in plain clothes, and bore features similar to each other – dark skin, black hair, onyx eyes.

And they were all staring at me with genuine curiosity.

"Look, she's awake!"

"Do you think she's fierce?"

"How am I supposed to know? _You_ talk to her!"

I cursed inwardly and rubbed my head, which was beginning to pound. "Where _is_ this place?"

"Katharon." The answer came from a smiling young girl that looked no older than twelve. She dashed out, yelling in a high-pitched voice, "She's up, she's up! The green-haired girl is up!"

Katharon. How could I have forgotten about it? At any rate, it seemed that we had managed to land without any major incidents. I hopped off the bed and tried to make my way to the door, but the gaggle of kids stood in front of it, blocking my way.

"No, you can't! He specifically ordered you to rest up in here!"

"He told us he'd appreciate our help if we could make you sleep more!"

"We have to help him out, so that you can rest well and be healthy again. He said that if you did not do that, you would faint, and be a…a nuisance to him!"

A nuisance to him? Oh, _that_ him. I smirked, having quite a good idea of who it was, all right. Did he actually manage to talk the kids into helping him out like this?

"I don't know why you all follow his orders, but I have to go out of this room too, you know. Besides," I paused and thought for a moment, hoping this reasoning would work, "I'm hungry."

Oh, they were good kids, that was for sure. They scrambled to a side and allowed me to pass, which I gladly did.

It did look like a secret base – there seemed to be steel girdles and heavy metal walls everywhere I looked. I wanted to explore around some more, but this was a straight hallway with no other twists and turns. Where was everyone else then? I padded onwards in silence, ignoring the fact that the kids were now on my trail - giggling, laughing and being annoying by asking me all sorts of questions.

"Was it fun in space?"

"Can you bring me to see the moon in the future?"

"What's your name, big sister? Can you tell us? Pretty please?"

I sighed. "I'm Eri, and please - direct any space questions you have to the Gundam pilots. Look, will you all just stop following me?"

"They never have the time to play with us much," One boy stated mournfully. "And besides, some of them are scar-y."

Laughing silently at the thought of a hissing Tieria harassed by kids, I asked, "Don't you find me scary as well?"

"No! You look like a kind person, Eri. And you have the nicest, prettiest eyes ever! We like you!"

I wasn't really sure how to respond to a compliment like that, but I felt an odd rush of sympathy for these kids. Had they been living here all this while without having the chance to play on lush green fields in the outside world? I didn't know much, but I knew that the Middle East was having a war, and for them to be living here - it just meant that chaos was rampaging out there.

That, and the small joy I felt knowing that they actually _liked _me - along with the fuchsia eyes which I myself found disconcerting.

"Eri, let's go to the kitchen. We have food there!"

They forcefully dragged me over before I could protest.

The kitchen was warm and cosy, with a pot boiling right over a simple stove. The Princess of Azadistan looked up, startled, but quickly smiled to cover up any traces of anxiety.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah." Not knowing what else to say, I hastily added, "You all…uh, have a nice place here."

"It's one of the few sanctuaries left. These children here have all lost their parents in the war – that's why we take them in and try our best to give them as normal of a life as possible. Potatoes?"

"Uhm, yes, please. Thank you."

"Princess Marina! We want some too!" The kids ran towards her, arms outstretched.

She laughed. "Now, now, where are your manners?"

The entire atmosphere was warm and cheery, filled with bright laughter. I relaxed slightly, but felt a sense of anger stir deep within my heart. This war had killed many, including the parents of these children. Who knew how many children themselves were dead out there? I gripped my fists tightly, frowning. Did any of them deserve these violence?

Celestial Being fought for righteousness – to stop more wars from happening, didn't they? If that was the case, then I would _always_ be aiding them in any way possible.

I snorted. It seemed like these annoying children had gained my affection in just a short span of time.

"Uh…thank you for the potatoes. Do you know where the others are?"

"Your friends should be at the meeting room."

I gave her my thanks and walked out, not even knowing where the meeting room was at. Thank goodness the kids did not bother following me around this time. I wouldn't have known how to deal with them.

"Where are you going?"

The slim lady with glasses perched on her nose scrutinized me carefully, arms folded in front of her chest.

"Uh, I…was looking for the others."

"Oh, you were the new member of Celestial Being that they were talking about. I'm Shirin Bakhtiar. This is your first time at Katharon, correct?" She carried on carelessly, not even waiting for an answer. "The rest of the Meisters are still having a discussion with Klaus. Interrupting would not do any good. In the mean time, I'll show you around."

I followed her curiously. She didn't seem to be angry; it was probably just in her nature to be brusque.

"This base is hidden out of sight from the prying eyes of the A-Laws. We move around as discreetly as possible, but it's been getting harder – they're closing in, and a war in the future would most likely be inevitable." She shook her head, lost in thought. "Here is the hangar. As you can see, our resources are limited. The mobile suits we use are nowhere as useful as the Gundams that Celestial Being has."

It was true. I could tell that these deep blue mobile suits were old models from just a simple glance. How on earth was Katharon supposed to face up against the A-Laws like this?

"We have a medical room not too far away from here, bedrooms are on the other side – what's the matter now?"

"…The kids…"

She sighed, wiping her hands on the beige khaki pants that she wore. "We don't have a choice. They live here, and we don't let them out much. The Middle East is always under heavy surveillance – kids playing around in an empty desert would only raise suspicion."

"We're…in a desert?"

"I could show you the outside for a little while. What's your name, by the way?"

"I'm Eri, and yes, I'd like that."

She nodded in acknowledgement and turned to the heavy metal wall, entering codes into a number pad as she did. There was a hiss and an opening wide enough for a person to slip through slid into existence.

"We use this opening to move around when it's only us humans. It attracts less attention that way."

I squinted at the sun. It was a dark red, indicating that dusk that had fallen across the land. As far as I could see, there was nothing except endless sand that extended until the horizon. I coughed pathetically and rubbed my eyes. The wind was blowing the sand into my face, and it itched.

So this was how the outside looked like.

"It's…barren," I said, disappointed.

"Yes, water is scarce. Crops can't be grown here."

I stood there for a moment, staring at the unknown. Shirin walked away with an "I'll be back in a few minutes," leaving me alone, lost in my own thoughts.

This place was nothing but an endless mound of sand. Where were the mountains, the sea, the flowers? I stared mournfully, sliding into a sitting position as I did. Something about the emptiness of it all made me recall the words from Tieria a few weeks ago.

"_Of course not, seeing as they've abandoned you here…"_

Abandoned…no way. Could I really have been that unwanted? I held a fist to my heart, feeling the lonely ache there. Celestial Being had only taken me in because they deemed that I wasn't a threat. I was abandoned, so there was no way I could be one.

Screaming at a vast desert wasn't the most productive thing I could do, but I wanted to – so I did.

"This – is – totally – utterly – USELESS!"

There wasn't an answer except the hiss of the wind, and I wasn't expecting one anyway. Well, that was until –

"Your childish demeanour is highly disturbing."

I gritted my teeth, feeling my face flame. How long had he been there watching me? "Aren't you supposed to be with the others?"

"You stirred up too big of a racket to be ignored." He crossed his arms and looked at me coolly, unfazed by my glare. The sunset cast a ruby hue to his purple hair, matching the color of his eyes.

"Using kids to make me stay in bed? Ever the creative, aren't you?"

He went silent, and I huffed impatiently. Oddly enough, our roles had been reversed today. I was the one getting worked up while he was being calm and somehow…amused.

"Stop looking so smug," I snapped. "I don't even know what's so funny. Well, what's next? Are we leaving anytime soon?"

"We will leave when resupplying is done tomorrow morning."

The sun had almost disappeared. All that was left was a tiny patch of red on the horizon. I frowned. Perhaps it was time to go back inside. Tieria must have been thinking the same thing, for he spun on his heel and began to walk back.

I wondered where Shirin was. She was probably too occupied to come back out.

"You like those kids, don't you," I muttered under my breath.

"What a ridiculous notion. I said no such thing."

Oh, yes. It was my turn to be smug and triumphant now. "So you do."

"Enough. Such matters are of no importance."

I smiled softly. He would never admit it, would he? "They like you too, you know. Your orders – they followed them well by putting up quite a bit of a resistance to stop me from leaving the room."

He scoffed in irritation, but I thought I caught a small smirk cross his face. It was gone just as quickly as it came, but I smiled, knowing that I hadn't imagined it up.

Perhaps he was more than just a pig-headed, apathetic, arrogant jerk after all.

* * *

**Uh huh. Feed me a review and inspire me by telling me what you think. I do hope that all new and old readers enjoyed this chapter, though. :)**

**- Anne**


	9. Blood

**To those who reviewed - thank you so much! I love you all! My O-Levels begin in a few weeks time, so I decided to squeeze a chapter out before things get real busy. I know, I know...this chapter took such a long time, didn't it? Sorry about that!**

**I want to specifically thank _StormyMonday_ (Stephanie) - for always supporting my stories, and generally - myself as well. I wouldn't have gone so far without your encouragement and honest feedback.**

* * *

"_It will have blood, they say; blood will have blood."  
- William Shakespeare_

* * *

**Blood**

* * *

_Pleading. I was actually pleading._

"_I'll be seeing you again as soon as this mission is completed, won't I?" _

_Warm fingers interlaced with mine. "Of course, my dear sister." _

_Another figure swaggered by, interrupting our silent exchange of affection. "Cut the chat. Just get on with it." _

"_Go away, Hilling. I don't even know why you dislike me so. Honestly, how could you be my kind, brilliant brother's genetic counterpart?" _

_Her tone was scathing. _"_Now now, is that any way to talk to your elders? We're technically sisters, you know." _

_Hilling exchanged a smirk with brother, and all a sudden I was confused. They wore devious smiles that told me they were sharing a secret - a secret I was clueless about. No - why were they reaching for me? I tried to back away, back away – _

"_You'll see us soon, sister."_

"_Very, very soon…"_

I choked and thrashed, throwing the covers off myself. A sheen of sweat covered my face, and I realized that the pillows I were sleeping on were thoroughly soaked.

Waking up in the middle of the night was always disorienting for me.

"I'll be seeing y'all very, very soon, huh? I wonder how soon," I muttered. It was yet another clueless, faceless memory. All I could remember were the voices - and - someone named _Hilling?_ Who exactly was that?

The room I was in at the Katharon base was dark and silent, just like how it was before I went to bed. Feldt had asked me to sleep on the Ptolemaios while resupplying and repairs carried on throughout the night, but somehow I chose to be at a different environment instead – even if it meant I had to sleep on a bed that smelled like straw.

It was then when I felt it – a sudden movement from the ground.

An earthquake? I sucked in a deep breath, waiting for the tremors to stop.

Only that they didn't.

Instinct told me that whatever was happening was far worse than an earthquake. I hopped off the bed in a fluid motion, glad that I had gone to sleep in the casuals I was wearing during dinner.

I ran past hallways blindly, realizing that everybody was up and about. People ran about, yelling frantic instructions at each other. Some of them dashed about, holding weaponry of all types and sizes. The screams and wails of frightened children reverberated around the base, eerie and haunting. I saw Marina pulling several of them into a tight hug, determined to calm them down.

Shirin strode past me and barked, "Marina, take the children to the furthest end of the base where battle fire won't reach them! We'll handle the rest up at the front!"

"Shirin!" I yelled, catching up with her. "What's going on?"

She fixed me with a steely gaze, lips pressed into a thin line. "We're under attack from the A-Laws. You should head back to your ship at the hangar."

"B-but…how could they have found out about this base? You said that it was hidden out of sight!"

"That's what I would like to know as well," she said, sounding very tired all of a sudden. "Go to your team mates. You'll be needed there."

"Alright then. Marina," I called out, "Make sure the children are safe."

Marina nodded. The children looked up from their group hug and gazed at me with tears in their eyes.

"Big sister…Eri…it's scary!"

"Are they…going to shoot us?"

"Are you coming with us?"

"Where are you going? Will you be safe?"

It didn't take a genius to know that fear was running wild within them. "Hey, stop crying. Don't worry about it. We won't let them get to you, and everybody will be fine. Wait for me, okay? I'll see you all soon and then we can have fun talking about space stories."

The children nodded, terrified. I smiled weakly in a show of bravery, and proceeded to run in the direction of the hangar.

It was so very unpractical of me to try comforting them.

For one, I was basically useless on the battlefield. I doubted that I was of any use to Celestial Being when it came to combat. What the hell was I thinking, spouting out phrases when I couldn't really do anything substantial? For another, there was no guarantee that everybody would be fine. If this was a battle, there were definitely going to be casualties – and if things went badly, the kids would not be able to survive either.

"_You'll see us soon, sister…"_

I heard a rumble and ducked to a side just in time to see heavy concrete crashing down.

"Sheesh!" I yelled, more irritated than fearful. "Talk about bad timing! Having dreams is one thing, but hearing voices _now_ just proves that I'm on the brink of insanity!"

The hangar came into view and I witnessed yet another flurry of activity. The Celestial Being crew moved around with efficiency, remaining calm despite the urgency of the situation.

"Sumeragi! What happens now?"

She whipped to me, auburn locks spilling across her shoulders. "We improvise."

I turned to look at Ian and the other technicians, who were quickly finishing up the repairs on the Ptolemaios. "Improvise? Are you telling me that we're just going to _leave_?"

"Earlier on, Katharon requested us for our assistance in overthrowing the Federation government, and we rejected them," Sumeragi explained.

I ended up yelling, which was probably the worst thing to do now. "No way! This has nothing to do with overthrowing the government! People's lives are at stake here! I saw the base – Katharon isn't up to the A-Laws at all!"

"They're not," Lockon said to me casually, as if we were discussing about the weather. "But we are."

I looked up for a moment, confused. "Wait, do you mean…?"

"While Celestial Being's current objective is not to overthrow the government or to assist Katharon, it _is_ our mission to annihilate the A-Laws." Tieria strode by stiffly, unfazed by the commotion. If he said that, then it would mean...

Sumeragi smiled and patted my shoulder. "Like I said, we improvise."

I watched with fascination as I saw Lockon, Setsuna and Allelujah head out into the desert with their Gundams powered up, weapons and firepower clashing against that of the A-Laws. Sparks erupted, flames sparked, and more steel structures collapsed.

The fighting had begun.

Tieria was the last one to head out. Before leaving, he turned to me and said quietly, "There are other Innovades around. Stay put on the ship unless you have a death wish."

"Sumeragi!" Feldt called, poking her head out of the Ptolemaios. "We're good to go! Eri, get on!"

Sumeragi hurried back to the ship. I, however, had made a decision.

"You all go ahead! I'll be staying here for a bit."

Feldt's eyes widened. "Eri, you can't stay here! There's no guarantee what will happen to this base. It might be destroyed from the battle, taking you along with it!"

"I know, Feldt, but it's my decision. There's something I have to find out."

She tried again, but Sumeragi stopped her. "Does this have anything to do with your…memories?"

I gaped, surprised at how quickly she caught on. She smiled good-naturedly. "It might be some time before we can contact you again. Will that be all right?"

Sumeragi understood. She trusted me. I was a mere girl who had never proven anything - including my loyalty - to Celestial Being, and she actually _trusted_ me, allowing me to run off just like that.

I grinned. "It'll do. Help me pass on a message - tell Tieria that I'm off to get some important life answers! Ask him to be patient, and tell him that he has the liberty of giving me all the death threats he wants after I return!"

With that, I ran off, hearing Sumeragi and Feldt's shaky laughter from behind.

* * *

Shirin stared at me, a shell-shocked look on her face. "What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to go back to your teammates?"

I felt smug. "Well, I_ improvised_. Besides, there's something I need to – woah, what – ?"

Shirin had quickly pulled me behind a wall before I could even finish my sentence. A flurry of bullets whizzed past, striking the area where the two of us were standing at seconds ago. Another shower of bullets flew, striking others down. Bright red arterial blood sprayed, staining the floor a brilliant crimson.

She hissed. "Those bastards! They've dispatched the automatons!"

I clapped a hand across my mouth, feeling my stomach heave. The smell of blood apparently didn't appeal to me that much. "Automatons?"

"Automatons are mindless killing machines that kill anybody they see, be it friend or foe. They fire without any hesitation, and are one of the deadliest weapons around used for search-and-destroy missions," Shirin explained softly.

A grim smile tugged at my mouth. "Well, that doesn't sound very pleasant. Any ideas on how to get away before it spots us here?"

"I have a flash grenade here. It'll buy us a few seconds to dash past that door," she said, motioning to the door a few metres away.

"Fair enough."

"Before that, though, you should hold onto this." Shirin muttered, sliding a pistol into my fingers. "It's a regular Desert Eagle model. Of course it won't be of much help in this kind of situation, but you being totally unarmed just isn't an option."

I bit my lip and brushed my fingers along the pistol's smooth curve, secretly hoping that I wouldn't have to use it. "Right. Got it. Thanks."

* * *

Shirin and I were separated amidst the chaos. It wasn't that I hadn't expected it, but things were definitely less comforting when you were facing the possibility of meeting an enemy here _alone. _

A faint trill of female laughter sounded at the back of my mind. I narrowed my eyes. That was definitely not my imagination. Someone had somehow managed to enter _my_ head.

"_Oh, you really have no idea what's going on, dear girl?"_

The sing-song voice, the hearty chortle - it was such an annoyance.

"Where are you? Come out and talk to me. I have questions for you."

"_I'm in your head, don't-cha-knowww? Hah! The clueless you just gets more amusing by the second! Do you even recognize me?"_

I was walking further away from the battlefield where the Meisters were engaging combat in. The sound of battle had faded away, and all that was left was an eerie silence. I swung out my gun for several sweeps every time I passed a corner, not wanting to take any chances of being attacked by hidden enemies.

"I recognize you, though not fully. You're somehow – related to me, I think. Along with…some others."

The voice chuckled darkly. "_Aww. And I wanted to have the pleasure of slowly breaking the full truth to you. It thrills me to think about how you'd suffer when you finally find out." _

I ignored her, scrutinizing my surroundings. This was probably an old storage area, for the next corner led me to a tall, olive green mobile suit. It was just an outdated one that seemed to be left there – what was it called again - the AEU Enact?

I gave a cautious glance. There didn't seem to be anyone here. That female voice, whoever it was, would have to wait.

One heartbeat. Another.

To hell with it. I slid into the cockpit, ignoring the obvious fact that it seemed as if the mobile suit had been placed there on purpose for my discovery. The danger signs didn't mean much. My hands were too busy roving the buttons in front of me, exploring, testing, shifting. Linear rifles, sonic blades, defence rods…this was this, and that was that. Perhaps I could try operating it.

That didn't make sense. I shouldn't be able to know how to.

And yet all these seemed familiar, _all too familiar_ -

When the machinegun began its fire, I hadn't been able to dodge quickly enough. It blasted through the arm of the Enact, sending a cloud of smoke and melted metal into the cockpit.

"Bloody hell!" I yelled, mobile suit stumbling backwards. My fingers clumsily fumbled at the controls, and soon enough I realized I had stepped into a one-on-one battle against an A-Laws mobile suit – the Ahead.

The voice purred in my head._ "Silly girl! You fell for it hook, line and sinker. I placed an intact mobile suit there, knowing you'd definitely jump into it. This is great! You sure saved me the bother of having to personally search every corner for you."_

Alright, lesson learnt. Next time, Eri, _do not_ touch the candy.

Soon, the other arm of the Enact was gone, and so was a leg. It was no match for the Ahead, and that wasn't good at all. Damn it. I should have just gone onto the Ptolemaios with the rest of them when I had the chance. Tieria was definitely going to kill me now.

"_Are you sure you should be thinking about sweet, little Tieria now? You just might be able to catch a glimpse of him - at his funeral, that is!"_

Despite the dangerous situation, I rolled my eyes_. _"Oh, go ahead. He's been annoying me for weeks. Put him to death - if you actually have the ability to do so."

The voice snickered. _"How mean of you. By the way, don't you realize that I'm going easy on you, and it's getting boring?"_

It was true. Whoever this person was, she could have finished me off in a blow if she wanted to. Those GN Beam Sabers she were holding couldn't be just for show. For some odd reason, she was dragging this out.

I snarled. "Then put an end to it, you coward! What are you waiting for?"

Perhaps challenging her wasn't exactly the best idea. The Ahead vanished, swiftly re-appearing in front of me.

_"You touched a nerve, sister dear."_

Blinding white filled my vision, and then…there was nothing but an endless darkness.

And from the hollow pitched-black of nothingness, Tieria's voice – filled with anger and desperation – rang out in my mind.

"_ERI!"_

* * *

**My chapters for this story are getting longer and longer. Uh...I don't know what to make out of it. Things seem to be spinning out of control in this chapter. Please excuse the slight OOC-ness of certain characters, and excuse me for the lack of appearance of the other Meisters. Something's happening to Eri too. I'm sure you all can see that. :D **

**Please, read and review. I'd appreciate all your honest comments! **

**- Anne**


	10. Past

**It's time...for the next chapter. Dumdumdum. Thank you to all the support and reviews so far - I treasure them every single bit. Now, here's a chapter where the POV is omniscient - in other words, no first POV from Eri herself.**

**Enjoy!**

**Oh, I'm finally dropping the Japanese honorifics. No more _nii-san_. [faints]  
**

* * *

"_In this bright future you can't forget your past."  
- Bob Marley_

* * *

**Past**

* * *

_There was a girl._

_There was a girl, whose hair resembled a forest – and not just by the color. It practically flew around in a mess, wavy and unbrushed. Her fuchsia eyes darted around, curiosity showing.  
_

_Her voice was lilting. "Who are they, brother?"_

"_They are us," he answered. Although their hair color was different by a few shades, they both had the same eyes. People often commented on how that was the only trait that they shared.  
_

"_You're being secretive again, brother. I don't understand. How are they 'us'?" _

"_Be patient," he admonished lightly. "I'll introduce them to you first. This is Hilling Care, Revive Revival, Bring Stabity, Regene Regetta, Devine Nova and Anew Returner. I was the one who awoke them from their long slumber." _

_The young girl giggled. "They have such funny names." _

"_What's this, Ribbons? Who's this young girl?" The one named Hilling Care asked. _

_She could feel Hilling's eyes scrutinizing her every move, but strangely enough, she didn't feel frightened. There was a strange connection between all of them – something like a huge web that made them all interconnected. They felt distinctively like her, just as what her brother had said._

"_Now, sister," Ribbons murmured, patting her hair, "Where are your manners?"_

_Oh, right. She had to introduce herself. _

_Standing a little straighter, she said, "My name is Lilith. Lilith Almark. I'm Ribbons Almark's younger sister. Pleased to meet you."_

* * *

"_Oi, you." _

_It was Hilling again, and this time she was looking down at Lilith in disdain. "What are you doing here?"_

"_Brother said I could come here for a little while to look at the mobile suits."_

_Hilling snorted. "You should mind your own business, you know that? Go play with some little dollies or something. We don't need you here."_

"_That's rude," Lilith retorted. "And I have my brother's permission, so there." To prove her point, she trotted to an enormous mobile suit and began scaling it with little effort. "I'm independent enough, see? Brother and I used to climb around the house when we were younger, you know."  
_

"_Cut the sentimental trash. You're just not one of us," Hilling said with a snicker. "So get off that suit and stop trying to prove your worthiness."_

"_Now, now, Hilling. She is Ribbon's sister, after all. No matter how much you try to deny it, Lilith is one of us," Regene interjected._

_Lilith grinned cheekily at Regene, watching as Hilling growled and fumed in distaste. At first she had found herself feeling disconcerted mingling around with her brother's creations, but they had proved to be entertaining as time went by. Besides, he spent less time with her as he grew up – but now she had some new people to talk to. Despite Hilling's rejection, Regene and Anew were at least friendly and nice to her. The rest of them, though distant, did acknowledge her presence. _

_And it felt good to be with them. To feel like she had an extended family. The best thing was that they were always connected – Lilith could feel Hilling's anger, Regene's amusement, and the vague emotions of the rest of them. It was enjoyable.  
_

_They were her, and she was them. What more could she want?_

* * *

"How is she?" Tieria asked brusquely, taking off his helmet.

Feldt looked at him wearily. "Her heartbeat is quicker than it should be, and she has some injuries here and there, but nothing vital was hit. She should recover soon enough."

Tieria shook his head angrily. Having the A-Laws attack Katharon was bad enough – they had spent quite a few hours eliminating them, and the loss of lives was apparent. The four Meisters had been doing the best they could, and Tieria had been focusing - until he heard Eri _scream._

There was no way he could have literally _heard_ it, of course. She was far away, so very far away – and that was when he knew that she had screamed in his _mind._

It was telepathy. Quantum brainwaves. Tieria was certain on it.

But weren't hers supposed to be destroyed?

_Unless…_

Tieria's blood ran cold. What if her quantum brainwaves weren't destroyed? What if they were merely _dormant,_ put to sleep - meant to be awakened in the future?

_Why hadn't he considered that possibility?_

And what about her memories? Were they merely asleep as well? If her quantum brainwaves were back, would that mean that her memories were back as well?

But there had been no time to waste for Tieria on the battlefield. The enemy was onto him. There was no one he could alert to regarding Eri needing assistance – everyone was having enough problems trying to keep themselves alive.

Tieria gritted his teeth, knowing that he should have just shot when he saw her in Veda's terminal for the very first time – at least he would have avoided any future problems.

By the time they had found her, she was out cold – and barely breathing. There was blood on the side of her head, and there were broken fragments of what seemed like an exploded mobile suit around her. Just what had that been about? Had she piloted that? Who struck her down? There were many questions, and Tieria found himself wanting answers.

"There's food for all the Meisters in the cafeteria now. You should have some," Feldt prodded.

"May I see her?"

Feldt blinked, caught off guard. "Eh?"

"I want to see her. Eri."

"Oh," Feldt said, nodding understandingly. "Of course you can – but it'll take her more time to wake up. She's still unresponsive."

With that, Tieria nodded and headed to the medical room. That girl – Eri – was in a healing chamber, looking much cleaner without all the blood on her. He stepped closer, observing – and paused.

Her eyebrows were furrowed, and her fists were clenched. Were recovering people supposed to have such distressed expressions on their faces?

He crossed both arms and frowned.

What on earth was she seeing that he couldn't?

* * *

"_You're getting better, Lilith. You'll be good in piloting mobile suits soon," Anew complimented. _

_Lilith grinned. It had been a few years since she had met these Innovators – and now that she was older, she was being allowed to do things that previously were off-limits to her. "Thanks. I heard you're leaving today?"_

"_Yes. Unfortunately, I am."_

"_Where are you off to? Will I ever see you again?" Lilith asked. The news of Anew leaving wasn't really a surprise – she had somehow known through these 'special connections' they had. Her brother called them 'quantum brainwaves', and had told her that they were very useful for all sorts of things. What sort of things, though, she had no idea.  
_

_Anew smiled. "I'm off to Celestial Being."_

"_That's nice…" Lilith murmured vaguely, unsure of where or what Celestial Being was. "I wish I could go around and see the world, too. It gets boring here sometimes, and I can't help anyone out." Especially brother, she thought. She would love to help him out – but whenever she suggested it to him, he merely shook his head and told her that it was unnecessary._

"_Does the little princess want to help Ribbons out so much?" Hilling taunted from a side, watching gleefully as Lilith shook in anger._

"_Of course I do," she snapped. "It would be better if you just disappeared, honestly. You're just a superior pain in my…"_

"_Nuh-uh, no name-calling! Tell you what, there IS a way that you can help him out." _

_Lilith stopped in mid-sentence, clearly intrigued. "Really? No, wait," she said in realization, "You're lying. You probably want to pull another prank on me, and I'm not falling for it."_

"_I'm not."_

"_Oh, yes, you are. Just because you were artificially created…"_

"_And just because you're Ribbon's genuine sister by blood…"_

_Anew smiled serenely. "You two should stop fighting."  
_

_Hilling leaned closely, whispering in Lilith's ear. "There is a way to help your precious brother…but the thing is, are you willing to do it? It's tough, you know, but it's a task that only you may be able to carry out…"_

_There wasn't even any hesitation. Lilith was tired of being the wallflower. _

"_Definitely."_

_It was, however, a very long time before that topic was brought up again. It was mentioned on one sunny afternoon when they were all gathered in the house, deep in discussion. Lilith had sensed that something was amiss when she couldn't feel Anew's presence anymore, and asked about it._

"_It seems that Anew was discovered," Revive said, humming casually._

"_Anew? What happened to her?" Lilith asked, anxious and alarmed.  
_

_Ribbons stepped towards her, arms outstretched._

"_It just means," he said smoothly, "That your time to help me has come, Lilith."_

* * *

There was nothing else that could be done. Tieria could only eat, rest, and wait.

Everyone else looked exhausted. Saji seemed to be ready to breakdown at any moment – Tieria had been the one to notice that something was amiss, and realized that he was the one who had, unknowingly, led the A-Laws to Katharon's base.

Tieria hadn't even held back his strength during the slap.

Perhaps he should slap that girl too when she woke up. What was wrong with her? He clearly told her to stay on the Ptolemaios!

There were just too many idiots around him. Tieria could feel a massive headache coming on.

To make matters worse, Sumeragi herself had fainted. The sight of blood had probably brought back several bad memories to light. So, for now, they were out of one technician – Eri – and a tactical forecaster – Sumeragi herself.

"Thank you for your hard work, Mileina," Tieria said, watching Mileina fix his mobile suit.

Mileina smiled cheerily. "No problem. I'll have this done as soon as possible. You can count on me!" Her smile faded, and then she said, "How is she?"

Tieria knew who Mileina was referring to. "She's fine," he said in a clipped voice. "No vitals were injured."

But Mileina just stood there, biting her lip. Tieria waited, knowing that she was about to say something important.

"I never really liked her," she confessed finally, "I was always wondering where she was from. But seeing her injured like that…"

"It's not your fault, Mileina," Feldt said.

"B-but I was always so rude to her!"

"Then all you need to do is to apologize to her when she wakes up. I'm sure Eri will forgive you," Feldt murmured comfortingly, patting Mileina's back.

Tieria left the hangar, leaving Feldt to be the one to comfort Mileina. He understood where those words came from – it had taken Mileina some time to accept Eri's presence, and now that Eri herself was injured, Mileina was feeling the _guilt._

There was nothing else left that he could do.

* * *

"Ah, it seems that she had a horrible awakening," Hilling said, plopping her legs on top of the couch.

"Being horrible now, aren't you?" Regene asked, joining her. "I can feel her quantum brainwaves palpitating unsteadily. Soda?"

Hilling gave him a disgusted glance and grabbed the can without a thanks. "You're pitying her? I can sense her uncertainty even though she's far away and unconscious. It's weak and annoying."

"Ribbons isn't going to like this," Regene warned, ignoring her question. "You could have waited for a little while longer before going to such extents."

"Like I care. I just want to see her suffer – and the only regret I have is not making her suffer _even more_ than that. I had to go easy on her or I would have killed her by accident. Besides, she has a thing for little Tieria. It'd be so amusing to pull them apart, don't you think?"

Regene gave Hilling a hard smile. "Jealousy is ugly, even on you. One of the reasons why you hate her so much would be because Ribbons holds her in a higher regard than you, isn't it?"

Hilling's face contorted into a sickening, twisted expression of anger. Regene merely laughed, ignoring her. As for Lilith – he understood that she was being called another name, Eri, on the Ptolemaios. How was she going to handle her own emotions after getting her memories back? Regene wondered how Tieria would deal as well. If Tieria found out that Eri was the sister of his true enemy, Ribbons, how would he react? What about the Ptolemaios crew? They had given her their trust, haven't they? And they were treating her - an enemy - as one of their own. It would be a repeat of Anew Returner's incident, wouldn't it?

Regene's lip curled. More importantly, who would Eri - no, Lilith, fight for? Would it be for the Innovators – or would she, like Tieria, be on humanity's side?

Only she could answer those questions.

Things were going to be much more interesting from now onwards.

* * *

**Oh-okayyy...this was quite hard to pull off...**

**I know, I know. Ribbons' past was never clearly mentioned, and all we know that he was a Gundam pilot (was he? Yeah, he was the one who gave Setsuna the suit, wasn't he?) - so, I chucked in a little salt and pepper.**

**Please review and tell me what you think. I tried to make sure there were as little loopholes as possible. :D**

**- Anne**


	11. Struggle

**Sincere thank yous to those who read and reviewed!**

**So. In this chapter you get some nifty TieriaxEri interaction_. _The lack of description is kinda obvious, but I hope you guys will still enjoy the story and the portrayal of Eri. :)**

* * *

_"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself."_  
_ - __Friedrich Nietzsche_

* * *

**Struggle**

* * *

It was like a dream, only I knew that it wasn't. The voices were hazy, and the colors were faded, unnatural – even distorted at times. They were flashing, showing, revealing everything they had.

Once upon a time, these images and voices had been _real_. At the very least, that was the truth which I now knew, remembered and understood.

Not completely. Not fully. Not totally. There were still things that didn't seem to totally fit. It confused me, made me miserable. I understood, and yet I didn't.

_What else was it that I still hadn't remembered? _

"To hell with that," I muttered, snapping my eyes open and immediately regretting it. "Those lights...too bright…" I struggled to sit up, wincing when sharp stabs of pain wracked through my body like lancing spears. "Ouch. Wait, what happened…?"

A chill ran down my spine. I had fought against..._Hilling._

Hilling Care. I remembered her. Oh, yes, I definitely did. The mist seemed to clear in my brain, shaking away the fuzzy thoughts that seemed to cling around the corners.

Why…why was I fighting her again?

_Don't be stupid,_ I thought, _the two of us fought all the time._

Yes, we always did. We would fight, squabble, or just try to incapacitate each other with wordplay. But this was different. She had attacked me with a mobile suit and I had tried retaliating, for goodness sake. Even sibling rivalry wouldn't go this far. I was probably really close to dying back there.

But what happened? Why were we fighting in the first place? No, I couldn't remember. I couldn't…

_And just where exactly was this place? It seemed familiar yet foreign at the same time. _

"Eri? Eri, you're awake!"

The warm hand that had gently grabbed my shoulder sent me into a flurry of panic. I shot up, slapping it away. I would have turned and ran if I could, but the pain that radiated throughout myself was just too much to bear. Humiliatingly, I collapsed onto the floor with a loud crash - spilling blankets and bottles of medicine as I did.

"Eri…?" Feldt's expression was worried, and she didn't withdraw her hand.

I blinked rapidly, trying to make some sense of the world around me.

Suddenly, I remembered.

_I was Eri, and I was part of Celestial Being._

_Katharon had been attacked._

_And most importantly, I had fought with Hilling Care – someone I had known from a long time ago. _

I mentally cursed. For a moment back there, I had mixed up my memories with reality, completely forgetting everything about Celestial Being and the people I had met. _Stupid, stupid, stupid -_ just how far could the instability of my mind go? Even now, reality didn't seem that clear either. The names in my head were jumbled up along with what seemed to be a huge pile of memory data, clogging up my thoughts and actions. They seemed to weigh me down, turning me sluggish.

Hilling Care. Anew Returner. Regene Regetta. And most importantly…

…_my brother, Ribbons Almark. _

"You shouldn't be moving," Feldt said quietly, interrupting my train of thought.

She was so kind, so caring – and still I pushed her away, this time as gently as I could.

"Eri…?"

"Please," I said, voice thick, "Please leave me alone."

"But…"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Feldt hurried out with a quick apology. My loud outburst had shocked her, but I couldn't help it. I just couldn't _think_ – and the throbbing pain wasn't helping. I would have loved to crawl back into my bed now, but it just seemed so far away. Maybe I could stand – no, wait, I couldn't. Instead, I settled back into a corner, leaning against the wall for support.

_So this,_ I thought bitterly, _was my true identity all along._ What exactly was my quest to help Ribbons then? Did it involve me appearing in Celestial Being all of a sudden? It must have been. There weren't any other explanations.

But…what could I do now?

Well, that was obvious. The right thing now was to continue betraying Celestial Being, as how it should have been from the very beginning.

That seemed to be the right thing…_but was it?_

Anew…was this how you felt? Torn between two allegiances, not knowing which to choose or what to do?

Just then I sensed a presence closing in. I looked around, alarmed – uncertain of how to deal with the presence of a foreign mind. I hadn't dealt with my original powers for so long that feeling them again seemed strange and bewildering. Technically, no one should have been able to see my memories as they were meant to be only for _me,_ but I still felt strangely violated to know that someone had most probably felt the _fear _that was clawing at my heart. Emotions could be easily sensed, after all.

Whose presence was that then - was it Hilling? Regene? _Ribbons…?_

Instead, Tieria stepped into the room. He cast a glance towards the empty bed, at the corner, and then at me. The look on his face was dispassionate, unreadable – but I could sense the _fury_ that radiated from his mind. He hadn't even bothered trying to hide it.

He stretched an arm out toward me and I shrank back a little, trying to seek some shelter out of the bare wall – knowing that I couldn't. All I could do was to mentally prepare myself for the strike that he would land on me.

However, instead of pain, I felt him pull me up almost gently – guiding me back to the bed.

He ignored the look of surprise that surely must have flitted past my face.

"Tieria…?"

"Which idiot," he said slowly, "Would wander away from the safest place they could be at even after being warned about the serious repercussions?"

Oh. "That would be me," I replied with a shaky smile.

I thought Tieria would leave with a scoff, but he didn't. Instead, he dragged a chair, sitting down next to me. He seemed to be contemplating deeply – I could see his eyebrows scrunched tightly together, just as how he always was when he wanted to pick out a problem.

"You are an Innovator," he finally said. It hadn't been a question.

"So are you," I retorted, waiting for the sentences about hatred, lies, and me being a threat to Celestial Being to fall from his lips. However, he didn't seem to be angry – the expression on his face was merely serious and thoughtful.

"You saw your memories, didn't you?"

I sat up quickly, ignoring the pain that abruptly flared at my hips. "How did you know? I should have been the only one to see those!"

My defensiveness didn't seem to faze him. "It was merely a hypothesis," he said, "If your Innovator powers have returned, you should have regained some memories as well."

Why that sly, shrewd _fox _– making me tell him what he wanted to know without making it seem like an interrogation. He remained silent after that, and I lost my patience.

"So?" I demanded. "What do you want to know now? Do I have to tell you my entire life story next? Shouldn't you be pulling a gun, threatening to kill me? If you have nothing better to say, just get out."

There was another pause, and then he said carefully, "You pose no threat to us, regardless of your relations to the Innovators."

Why wasn't he being irritated or angry? It didn't make sense. I wanted to wipe that sterile expression off his _face_ - but unexpectedly, I started laughing. I laughed until my voice echoed around the room, sounding harsh and unnatural even to myself; I laughed until my sides ached violently reopening my injuries. Wetness trickled down my hips – that was definitely blood.

"What makes you so sure, Tieria Erde? How well do you know me? What if…what if…" I wanted to say, _'what if you found out that I was the sister of your worst enemy and I have no choice but to destroy you?'_ but all that came out was something between a choke and a sniffle. The words were stuck in my throat, and I couldn't get them out.

He stood up, reaching towards the cabinets for bandages. "Your origins and allegiances are of no concern to me, if that was what you meant."

"But that wasn't what you said a few weeks ago!" I cried, sounding scandalized. "Hey, what are you doing?"

Tieria had pulled the loose shirt I was wearing up, exposing the nasty gash that was at my hip. He unraveled the blood-soaked bandages I had, proceeding to put on fresh ones. The act felt strangely…caring and _intimate_, like we were companions in a war, not individuals grabbing at each others throats whenever we had the chance.

I sighed, ending my protests.

"Your quantum brainwaves were in a mess earlier on," he muttered.

Of course they would be. "I thought you said that my mine were destroyed."

"I was…mistaken."

"Apparently."

He gave me a furtive glance. "…What exactly did you see in your mind earlier on?"

I snorted. Like he didn't know already. "My memories. Yeah, that's not very specific, is it? Sorry, but I won't be writing a biography, even if it was for you."

Tieria chuckled. He actually did. "I expected no less." Surveying me with a critical look, he said, "You came close to losing your life back there. What _exactly_ happened?"

This wasn't bantering. He was asking me a serious question, and it was only proper that I answered truthfully. "My opponent was an Innovator – someone I knew from long ago. In simple terms, she used a mobile suit as a bait. Once I fell for it, she took me down. It would have been easy for her – her mobile suit was much more advanced, and I was out of practice - ouch! _Watch it!_"

At my protest, Tieria loosened the bandages slightly. Realization flashed in his garnet eyes. "Have you piloted mobile suits before?"

I nodded reluctantly. "Yes, just for simple training back then."

He didn't ask anything about the 'simple training' or what 'back then' meant, merely giving me a swift glance that indicated 'I see'.

"So…" I continued carelessly, "Care to tell me how badly injured I am? The pain just doesn't seem to stop – or is it that Celestial Being just isn't equipped with the proper medical facilities?"

"Your injuries were severe. It took many hours just to ensure that you were out of danger. A full recovery would take much longer," Tieria deadpanned.

I rolled my eyes. "Right. Severe injuries. May I have a more detailed assessment report, please?"

"Countless bruises, deep gashes, a minor fracture – the blow to your head was the one that required the most medical attention of all. Had you not been discovered earlier, you would have bled to death," he said monotonously, as if it was a lunch menu he was reciting.

That explained the continuous pain that was shooting through my skull. It had dimmed a little throughout my conversation with Tieria, but now it was back charging back head-on. "Right. On a scale of one to ten, I'd rank this as _extremely_ excruciating," I said, settling back onto the healing capsule with a sigh.

"…Your ability to speak your mind in such extreme circumstances never ceases to amaze me," Tieria said darkly. "Appreciate the fact that you are still alive. Take such reckless actions again next time and no one might be able to save you or your sorry memories."

I shrugged.

He stood up, preparing to exit. "Continue resting. I shall inform the others about your condition."

"You do whatever you want."

"By the way…" Tieria began.

I yawned a little. "Hm?"

"You pose no threat to us," he said stiffly, "I came to that conclusion after intepreting your quantum brainwaves earlier on. You were merely…_afraid_."

With that, he left. The door whizzed, shutting itself once again upon his retreat.

I half-groaned, embarrassment threatening to overwhelm my entire being. It was bad enough to have Tieria being suddenly so kind and understanding towards me, but for him to openly admit something like that? It didn't make sense.

I shook my head. It was only temporary. Sooner or later things would go back to normal – we'd soon be picking fights with each other once again, using new phrases and insults. Things would go back to how they once were – wouldn't they?

_No – they wouldn't._

Now that I knew who I really was, things would just become more complicated. I smiled despite the pang in my heart, knowing that I only had two choices – to betray my brother and his kind, or to betray the people I had become close to on Celestial Being.

There was no question -_ I could never betray my true family._

But…how had I lost my quantum brainwaves and my memories together, I wondered? If they were the ones that did it to me, would it make any sense to continue helping them?

And Hilling had tried to kill me, for goodness sake!

_She was merely playing with you,_ the reasonable side of me whispered. _She would never really kill you, for you were always your brother's favourite. _

_My brother's favourite_. That statement was enough to make me freeze in my steps. There was no doubt about it – while the other Innovators were created by him, I was Lilith Almark, his blood sister. I was born, not created – and that was one of the reasons why he appreciated my existence so much.

But did he really love me? If he did…he wouldn't have done anything to me, would he?

What could I do?

What _would_ I do?

With these uneasy thoughts rolling in my head, I drifted into a restless sleep with conflicting thoughts heaped on my mind.

Whatever the future was, it wasn't going to be pleasant.

* * *

**Okayyyyy. You know the drill. Please read and review! :)**

**- Anne**


	12. Lies

**Tieria was being this huffy fella in 00 - so much 'till that everything I write about him seems OOC now. ****Anyways, thanks for the reviews, favs and alerts. I hearts them so, so much! In this chapter, you see some...development. Maybe. I guess. Yes, I have sort of jumbled up S1 and S2 together, to those who haven't really noticed and are feeling confused, so...  
**

**Grab your snacks and have fun reading!_  
_**

* * *

___"And, after all, what is a lie? 'Tis but  
the truth in masquerade."  
- Lord Byron, "Don Juan"_

* * *

******Lies  
**

* * *

"So what _exactly_ happened back there?"

I glanced at Sumeragi. She hadn't wasted any time in approaching me as soon as she heard that I was well enough to walk without any assistance. According to Tieria, I had to thank the fact that I reclaimed some of my Innovator powers when I was injured. Recovery would have taken much longer otherwise. Still, it had been a full fortnight of me mostly being in the healing capsule - a fortnight which resulted in me nearly dying of sheer, utter _boredom._

When I asked Tieria whether he would inform the entire Celestial Being crew about my allegiances to the Innovators, he had calmly replied that it was my own story to tell and not his. Not that it made me feel any better, of course – because unfortunately, it wasn't a mere _allegiance_ that I had. I was supposedly connected to all of them. They were a part of me, and I was a part of them.

More importantly, I was the sister of Ribbons Almark. If being an Innovator wouldn't freak them out, then perhaps that piece of information would.

Tieria would _really_ kill me then.

I arranged my face into what I hoped was an innocent expression. "Nothing."

Sumeragi sighed. "Eri, you were bleeding to death." In other words, she meant _stop pretending and start talking. _

"I was attacked."

"By…?" Sumeragi prompted. The Celestial Being crew sat next to her in silence. Despite always being in rough battles, none of them looked too worse for the wear. I wondered how they handled it - were all of them this _strong?_ Saji was the only one who looked nervous – but then again he _always_ appeared to be nervous.

"I didn't know who that was."

She tried again. "Are you sure?"

"Fairly certain."

Sumeragi looked thoughtful, but didn't question me anymore. "Well, alright. Now, the reason I have called everyone here for a meeting is because Wang Liu Mei has sent us some classified information."

Everyone waited patiently for her to continue. Come to think of it, Wang Liu Mei was the one who provided intel for Celestial Being, wasn't it?

"The A-Laws is having a banquet on Earth to strengthen its ties with their sponsors in a week," Sumeragi said quietly. "This is not a trivial matter. It would be a good chance for us to infiltrate the area and learn more about their aims and motives."

"A-Laws, huh?" Lockon asked. "If I recall correctly, their sponsors involved the Innovators."

That certainly grabbed my attention. From one side, I could see Tieria lean forward, interested in hearing more.

"The Innovators…Anew was one of them," Mileina murmured, looking down sadly. Feldt patted her shoulder encouragingly before giving me a small smile, one that I returned.

Sumeragi nodded sagely. "Yes. It was actually a blessing in disguise, because her betrayal allowed us to discover that the Innovators were the ones who stood behind the A-Laws, threatening the world with their ideals."

_Anew really did betray Celestial Being in the end._ I lowered my head, hoping no one could see how disappointed I was. Amongst the Innovators who I had mingled with in my childhood, Anew had been the kindest to me. She always smiled patiently and answered my questions, even going so far as to defend me from Hilling's jeers.

Did she ever enjoy living with the Celestial Being crew? Were Mileina, Feldt, Sumeragi and everyone else a friend of hers? Perhaps she had fallen in love with someone. If she had, I assumed that she was happy.

_Until she had to carry out her true purpose, that is._

"And now," Sumeragi continued, "We will have to send a few people in for the mission of infiltrating the banquet."

"I'll go," I said, standing up immediately. There was no question about it - this was the perfect opportunity for me to meet the rest of the Innovades and get any questions answered.

Except that it hadn't been just me – Tieria had uttered those two words in perfect synchronization at the same time I did. He was on his feet as well, ruby eyes flashing dangerously.

His voice rang out in my head, sharp and commanding.

"_Stay out of this."_

Was he seriously trying to order me around? That guy should have known better._  
_

"_No,"_ I mentally replied, _"You should be the one staying out of this."_

The rest of the people in the room, oblivious to our mental banter, seemed to be amused at how we glared at each other. Lockon was chuckling; Mileina was squealing in excitement. I didn't want to know what was going on in her head.

Sumeragi, however, frowned. "I will allow Tieria on this mission – mainly because he understands Innovators more than we do, but as for you, Eri…"

"I need to go," I said firmly. "I have to."

"How are your injuries?"

"Healed."

"Any confirmation of that, Feldt?"

"Yes," Feldt replied. "As unbelievable as it seems, Eri has recovered incredibly quickly from her ordeal. The only remaining thing that could cause problems would be the minor fracture on her hand, but that has mostly been healed as well."

"This is an infiltration mission," I argued, "Not one that involves combat. Besides, the A-Laws and the Innovators would be unfamiliar with me. It would be perfect."

Tieria coughed into his hand to cover a snort. He was becoming snarkier as the days went by. He had probably been spending too much time with me.

Sumeragi appraised me carefully, searching my face for any hints of emotion. I made sure none showed. _Careful now,_ I told myself. _If you appear too eager, she would know you're up to something._

"All right," Sumeragi finally said, conceding in defeat. "Tieria and Eri will head the mission – but I'm sending Setsuna as backup, just in case."

Setsuna nodded. "Roger."

If the Innovators were there, then Ribbons would definitely be present. It would be a perfect chance to talk to him – and the rest of his creations as well. Other than Hilling, I hadn't seen the rest of them in _years_. There would be a lot to discuss about.

And that included gaining more details on my original mission. I wanted to know, to remember, to _understand._

"Which means," Feldt piped up, "You'll need a dress!"

A _what?_ I shook my head, wondering what Feldt was so excited about. "Right, right…I'm sure we can think about that later."

I walked out of the room with Tieria trailing closely behind. The smug smile was on my face – Tieria just couldn't stop me when I wanted something, could he? If I wanted to participate in a mission, then I would.

Well, now, what could I do? Being stuck in the healing capsule had been torturous. I wanted to run around, breathe freely a little. Ah, yes. Perhaps I would visit Veda again.

…Though, of course, it would have been better not to have a fuming Meister following from behind. I ignored Tieria as much as I could, striding down hallways in large, confident steps until Veda's terminal could be seen. Tieria didn't say anything on the way, and neither did I. Oh, well. Perhaps he would leave when he grew bored.

However, once he slid into the terminal with me, my impatience started to grow.

"Can you," I bit out, "Stop following me?"

Tieria dismissed my irritation easily. "Follow? Don't flatter yourself. I have the right to access Veda as much as you do."

_Yeah, right._ "You're just angry that I managed to get myself involved in this mission. Could you leave? I can't relax here without you butting in."

"You lied to them," Tieria stated drily. "I don't know what your memories entail, but sooner or later you will have to tell everyone the truth."

I sighed, swinging myself around the gravity-free environment. "The truth isn't pleasant, Tieria."

"It never is. Now I, unlike you, have far more rationality when it comes to a mission. You would only be a hindrance."

Why, that little _twerp._ "I wouldn't!"

"You would." Tieria's arms were crossed. He hovered above me, gold eyes reflecting the colorful hues around us. "You almost died once. The negligence that lies in you is what makes you unfit for missions."

This was wordplay from Tieria which I had already grown accustomed to. I scowled, craning up to get a better view of him. Why couldn't he just stay put in front of me so that we could talk like normal individuals? "What if I told you that this was a mission I had to take part in, no matter what?"

"Then…" Tieria paused, looking uncertain for a moment. "Fulfill any necessary purposes efficiently - with the least amount of casualties possible."

"Spoken in typical Tieria fashion," I said, grinning. "Anyway, this happen to be the kind of mission that I really couldn't pass up on. You'll be there with me anyway, so what's the problem?"

"Other than the fact that you happen to be a reckless fool?"

I laughed softly. Perhaps he was right.

"Hey, Tieria."

"What?" Tieria asked warily, knowing from my tone that I was about to ask something serious.

"If…" I paused, wondering how to get the words out. "If I ever betrayed Celestial Being, what would you do?"

There was a long period of silence, where nothing else could be heard except the thumping of my heart. Tieria's face was impassive. I waited patiently, watching as he comprehended the weight of my question.

Finally, he said, "If you did, I would come after you and kill you with my own hands."

In many ways, I was glad to hear Tieria say that - but that didn't make me feel any happier. I smiled sadly, knowing he was telling the truth. "Promise?"

Tieria scowled, clearly unsure what I was playing at.

"Come on," I prodded. "Just say it."

He sighed heavily. "You're impossible. Fine, I promise."

Nothing else was said on this matter. Tieria finally left the terminal, which allowed me to drift aimlessly in silence. I closed my eyes, exhaling slowly.

I was glad that I could depend on him to kill me if he had to – because at this rate, I wasn't sure whose side I was on anymore.

* * *

The venue was definitely decorated as elaborately as how Sumeragi had described it. There were polished marble floors, glittering chandeliers, red carpets, and mounds of velvety curtains. Everything seemed to shine – the glass cups, plates, and silverware.

In order to successfully infiltrate the banquet organized by the A-Laws and Innovators, being dressed appropriately was necessary. Feldt did her best to help me out. She had seemed excited about everything despite my sombre mood, taming my wild hair with a large brush and piling it up into a bun. Despite my complaints, she had proceeded to smear all sorts of makeup on my face.

I had felt like a palette. _An irritated, annoyed palette._

The dress was probably worth it, though. _Probably._ It was a classic cut in a standard shade of black – Mileina was keen on me choosing something a little more pink with ruffles, but I had instantly said no. Basically, anything that resembled a skirt was horribly uncomfortable for I was with the Celestial Being crew, I was always dressed comfortably in pants and a shirt – courtesy of Feldt who welcomed me to anything from her closet.

Tieria had dressed up reasonably well for the event. The dark suit he wore blended in with what most of the men around wore, and he had plopped a large hat on his head to hide most of the purple hair.

I wouldn't have minded if the two of us went on our separate ways, but Sumeragi had insisted that we were to remain together at all times. She mentioned that the two of us would "pose as a wealthy, elite couple who have been very supportive sponsors of the A-Laws," while Setsuna would hang around in the compound to support us if anything extreme happened.

Never mind about that – _b__eing in the presence of many was a frightening thing. _I was apprehensive over the fact that there were so many people around us. They seemed to swarm around in pairs or threes, all dressed up formally in dresses, suits and tuxedoes. Chattering floated all over the place – eloquent greetings, general small talk – and there were handshakes, with boisterous laughter and claps on the shoulder.

It was getting uncomfortable, though.

_Too uncomfortable. _

"Could you," I hissed at the uptight person next to me, "_Loosen_ your grip a little?"

Tieria gave me a swift glance out of the corner of his eye and relaxed his arm, which was tightly wrapped around mine. I snickered inwardly, knowing that I wasn't the only one who was nervous over this.

Tieria's next mental command was sharp and authoritative. _"Do not trip. I will not come to your assistance if you make a scene." _

I sighed, wishing he hadn't said that. Feldt had smartly lent me some flats, telling me that they looked good and were convenient to run on if necessary – but she probably didn't think much about the dress, did she? It was long – far _too _long. Tieria's reminder was well-timed, for if I hadn't looked at the ground at that precise moment, I would have stepped on my dress and keeled over.

Which would have been horribly embarrassing, for an Innovator especially.

_Wait a second._

People had begun noticing our presence and were walking over to initiate small talk. They were all formal men who carried a sense of power and authority, some with ladies hanging off by their sides. I cast the area a quick glance – still no Innovades of the sort. _Where on earth were they hiding at? Weren't they supposed to be around?_

_Then why the hell couldn't I sense them?  
_

Before searching for them, though, there was some information to gather first.

_Alright, Tieria,_ I told him darkly. _Let's make this work._

The only response I received from him was a curt nod.

* * *

**Right. Riiiiight. Okay. Er...it's late, I'm real tired, and there's nothing much I have to say except that I hope you all enjoyed it.**

**Review? :)**

**- Anne**


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